Room-temperature quantum sensing with photoexcited triplet electrons in organic crystals

Abstract

Quantum sensors have notably advanced high-sensitivity magnetic field detection. Here, we report quantum sensors constructed from polarized spin-triplet electrons in photoexcited organic chromophores, specifically focusing on pentacene-doped para-terphenyl (${\approx}$0.1%). We demonstrate essential quantum sensing properties at room temperature: electronic optical polarization and state-dependent fluorescence contrast, by leveraging differential pumping and relaxation rates between triplet and ground states. We measure high optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast ${\approx}16.8\%$ of the triplet states at room temperature, along with long coherence times under spin echo and CPMG sequences, $T_2{=}2.7μ$s and $T_2^{DD}{=}18.4μ$s respectively, limited only by the triplet lifetimes. The material offers several advantages for quantum sensing, including the ability to grow large ($cm$-scale) crystals at low cost, the absence of paramagnetic impurities, and the diamagnetism of electronic states used for sensing when not optically illuminated. Utilizing pentacene as a representative of a broader class of spin triplet-polarizable organic molecules, this study highlights new potential for quantum sensing in chemical systems.