Abstract

A central challenge in modern condensed matter physics is to understand and ultimately control the emergent quantum phenomena. Progress in this field is often limited by available experimental tools, particularly those capable of probing local dynamical properties with minimal perturbation across broad energy and length scales. Optically addressable spin defects, such as nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and negatively charged boron-vacancy (VB-) centers in hexagonal boron nitride, offer a new measurement paradigm: atomic-scale quantum sensors exquisitely sensitive to their local environments. By combining static magnetometry with spin relaxation and decoherence, these defects access magnetic fields and noise spectra, turning them into local sensors of dynamics inside the probed systems. This dissertation develops these sensors and applies them across several frontiers. First, I investigate the spin properties of VB- centers, revealing their dominant spin-phonon mechanism and improving their spin coherence through isotope engineering. Second, I utilize quantum noise spectroscopy with NV centers to directly probe emergent dynamics in a high-temperature superconductor \BSCCO (BSCCO), resolving critical pairing fluctuations near the transition and the motion of magnetic vortices. Finally, I propose and assess a new class of X-ray detectors built on NV-based quantum sensing protocols. Together, these results establish solid-state spin defects as a versatile quantum technology bridging condensed matter physics, precision metrology, and instrumentation.

Committee Chair

Chong Zu

Committee Members

Chong Zu; Chuanwei Zhang; Erik Henriksen; Sang-Hoon Bae; Sheng Ran

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Physics

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

8-17-2026

Language

English (en)

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Available for download on Sunday, February 14, 2027

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Physics Commons

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