Lab exchange grant: Exploring NV biosensing with integrated photonics

Group photo of Hao-Cheng Weng with members of Helena Knowles' Lab at the University of Cambridge

Hao-Cheng Weng a PhD student at the University of Bristol was awarded an M4QN laboratory exchange award to visit Helena Knowles group at the University of Cambridge. The visit took place from 6th-19th April 2025.

The purpose of the visit

Hao-Cheng visited the Coherent Quantum Lab at the University of Cambridge. During the visit, they explored the use of photonic integrated circuits for biological quantum sensing with NV centres.

Hao-Cheng writes “Our successful initial tests suggest that this new platform could be a game changer for NV-based biosensing. The visit has certainly opened up valuable opportunities for further collaboration between our laboratories and the exchange of knowledge.”

Benefits to the UK materials and quantum community

Nanoscale quantum sensors based on NV centers hold broad potential across various applications, including temperature and magnetic field sensing, biochemical detection, and the investigation of solid-state materials at the quantum level. A fully integrated quantum sensor could move these technologies beyond table-top demonstrations and into real-world applications in medicine and extreme environments.

Hao-Cheng writes “We believe this unique collaborative opportunity could play a significant role in advancing the development of nanoscale quantum sensing technologies in the UK.”

Visit outcomes

The visit created valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange on experimental techniques and methods. It also facilitated future collaboration between the laboratories involved.