Magnetic Imaging with Spin Defects in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

This work bridges research on two-dimensional (2D) materials and quantum sensing technology by demonstrating that optically active spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride can be used for quantitative magnetic field imaging. As proof of concept, the authors image the magnetic field produced by CrTe${}_{2}$, a room-temperature van der Waals ferromagnet. This h-BN-based magnetic sensor offers high flexibility and the ability to be placed in atomic-scale proximity to a target sample, and thus is expected to find numerous applications in 2D materials research by offering a simple means to probe in situ the physics of van der Waals heterostructures.