Human cardiac measurements with diamond magnetometers
The heart produces small magnetic signals, but detecting them without touching the body and without heavy shielding equipment remains a major challenge. In this study, we demonstrate a noninvasive method to measure these signals using compact quantum sensors made from diamond. These sensors operate at room temperature and can detect extremely weak magnetic fields produced by the heart, even outside highly shielded environments. By averaging signals over many heartbeats and using noise suppression techniques, we successfully recorded clear magnetocardiography traces. Although current measurements require averaging, our results show a clear path toward real-time detection. We also explored a gradiometry protocol for unshielded noisy environments, paving the way for contactless cardiac detection in challenging clinical conditions. This work points toward a path for using quantum sensors in practical medical diagnostics of the heart and brain.
Authors
- Mena Abdelsayed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7654-0308)
- Jixing Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1983-5409)
- Muhib Omar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3078-7679)
- Michael Kübler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2314-6147)
- Jörg Wrachtrup (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3328-9093)
- Matthew Markham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8898-5884)
- Dmitry Budker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7356-4814)
- Oliver Schnell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1284-1427)
- P. Koss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5094-3056)
- Tonio Ball (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4993-466X)
- Leonardo Gizzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3009-6261)
- A. Trautmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9287-4896)
- Jürgen Beck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7687-6098)
- Maryna Kapitonova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7206-9304)
- R. Rölver
- Ulrich Hofmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6264-3701)
- Pouya Sharbati (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0272-1218)
- Andrew M. Edmonds (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6220-889X)
- Magnus Benke
- Michelle Schweizer
- Arne Wickenbrock (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5540-7519)
- Yihua Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5561-0648)
- Shaowen Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4491-8417)
- Ara Rahimpour (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-6633-4124)
- Carlos Rene Izquierdo Geiser
- Katharina Jag-Lauber
- Ingo Wickenbrock
- Thanh-Duc Nguyen
- Devyani Kadam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2439-0253)
- Arno Gück
- Jens Haller
Institutions
- University of Stuttgart (DE)
- University of Freiburg (DE)
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (US)
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- University Medical Center Freiburg (DE)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (DE)
- Stuttgart Technical University of Applied Sciences (DE)
- Universitätsklinikum Erlangen (DE)
- Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques (DE)
- Katholisches Klinikum Lünen/Werne , St.-Marien-Hospital Lünen (DE)
- Helmholtz Institute Mainz (DE)
- Element Six (United Kingdom) (GB)
- Element Six (Luxembourg) (LU)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-09-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeg5281
- Primary Topic
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft