NV Center Magnetometry in Diamonds for Harsh Environments

In many disciplines and industries, it is essential to develop magnetic sensing technologies that can endure extreme environmental conditions. We perform a numerical study of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamonds, tailored for magnetometry in extreme environments (i.e., high-radiation) and conditions as harsh as -240°C without protective housing. Using density matrix formalism, we examine electron NV centers for Ramsey magnetometry and identify the dominant sources of scattering that set the sensitivity floor at such temperatures. We optimize the pulsing sequence, initialization, and readout protocol for operation in these environments. Our results provide valuable insight into the practicality of quantum solutions for sensing in harsh environments.