Room-temperature hybrid 2D-3D quantum spin system for enhanced magnetic sensing and many-body dynamics

Abstract Advances in hybrid quantum systems and their precise control are pivotal for developing advanced quantum technologies. Two-dimensional (2D) materials with optically accessible spin defects have emerged as a promising platform for building integrated quantum spin systems due to their exceptional flexibility and scalability. However, experimentally realizing such systems and demonstrating their superiority remains challenging. Here, we present a hybrid spin system operating under ambient conditions, integrating boron vacancy ( $${{\rm{V}}}_{{\rm{B}}}^{-}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> ) spins in 2D hexagonal boron nitride flakes with a single nitrogen vacancy (NV) center in 3D single-crystal diamonds. This combined system achieves full controllability and exhibits enhanced performance for nanoscale magnetic sensing, including an improved dynamic range. Moreover, we investigate the rich many-body spin dynamics within the hybrid system, which enables us to estimate the concentration of $${{\rm{V}}}_{{\rm{B}}}^{-}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>V</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>B</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> spins. This work provides a critical foundation for advancing the development of 2D-3D integrated quantum spin systems.