Microwave-free vector magnetometry and crystal orientation determination with nitrogen-vacancy centers using Bayesian inference

作者：Hilario Espinós, Omkar Dhungel, Arne Wickenbrock, Dmitry Budker, Ricardo Puebla, E. Torrontegui · 发表于：Communications Physics · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1038/s42005-026-02736-y · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research、Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research、Magnetic properties of thin films

Abstract Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond provide a solid-state platform for quantum sensing. While optically detected magnetic resonance techniques offer high sensitivity, their reliance on microwaves introduces heating and stray electromagnetic fields that can perturb nearby samples. Optical approaches based on cross-relaxation between differently oriented NV centers remove this constraint but have so far required stringent alignment of the external field with crystallographic axes, restricting their practicality. Here we introduce a general framework for microwave-free vector magnetometry at near-zero field that leverages Bayesian inference to extract both the magnetic field vector and the NV orientation directly from photoluminescence maps. An analytical model of cross-relaxation resonances enables efficient inference under arbitrary field and orientation configurations, while naturally incorporating the discrete degeneracies of the NV symmetry. We experimentally demonstrate robust orientation determination and vector-field reconstruction, establishing a general route toward compact and alignment-free NV magnetometers for practical sensing applications.