Additive Manufacture of Diamond:Titanium Hybrid Quantum Sensors

ABSTRACT Additive manufacture represents one of the most advanced techniques for the creation of complex parts for applications as diverse as aerospace and implant surgery. However, a challenge with bespoke manufacture of metal parts is the incorporation of sensor elements in a fashion compatible with the 3D printing process. We have successfully created a new hybrid material of microdiamonds and titanium, which was printed using direct energy deposition. The microdiamonds contain nitrogen‐vacancy color‐centers, and our results show that the quantum and fluorescence properties of the microdiamonds are preserved, with potential to act as quantum sensors embedded in the titanium matrix. We show this potential by demonstrating temperature sensing using 3D printed titanium‐microdiamonds via both fluorescence readout and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). At room temperature, the fluorescence approach had a sensitivity of 1 and the ODMR approach showed 20 . Sensitivity of both modalities varied as a function of temperature, with the ZPL sensitivity exceeding that of ODMR below approximately 100 K, with the ZPL sensitivity at 30 K found to be . We also verify the quantum properties of this diamond with a measured coherence time of 2 showing a dynamic, robust platform for bespoke 3D printing of bio‐friendly quantum sensors.