Spin-based magnetic detection of optically trapped single cell in microfluidic channel

Abstract Combining optical tweezers with fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for single-cell analysis, playing a pivotal role in disease diagnosis, cell sorting, and the investigation of cellular dynamics. However, fluorescence detection faces challenges such as blinking, photobleaching and autofluorescence in biotissues. To address these limitations, we developed a magnetic detection strategy by integrating quantum magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers into optical tweezers, demonstrating precise trapping and manipulation of individual cells in microfluidic environment. We detected a magnetic signal of 89 μT from a single cell labeled with magnetic nanoparticles, compared to a noise floor of 3.9 μT observed in unlabeled cells. This platform provides a promising approach for high-precision single-cell analysis and holds significant potential for probing cellular activities within biological microenvironments.