HORIBA collaborates with Qnami to develop scanning NV magnetometry and distribute first quantum microscope

The agreement will allow materials science researchers to benefit from solutions combining HORIBA’s advances in AFM instrumentation with Qnami’s innovation in quantum sensing

20 Nov 2020

Diane Li

Assistant Editor

HORIBA, a global leader in measurement and analysis solutions for advanced research and industry, and the world leader in Raman microscopy and nanoscopy, is thrilled to announce a strategic collaboration with Qnami, a leader, and pioneer in scanning NV magnetometry based on diamond quantum sensing.

After a series of joint research projects, both companies have agreed to accelerate their developments to address the growing needs of cutting-edge technology for the quantitative and non-perturbative analysis of surface magnetic fields.

A Three-Dimensional Agreement

The cooperation with the innovator based in Basel, Switzerland, which specializes in quantum sensing and NV magnetometry, will cover three main areas: product development, supply and distribution of the first generation of quantum microscopes – as illustrated by the newly launched Qnami ProteusQ™.

Through this agreement, HORIBA and Qnami will continue their joint research in quantum AFM, capitalizing on their respective and complementary core competencies in the fields of near-field optics and materials sciences: surface analysis and nanoscopy, diamond-based quantum sensing and magnetometry.
HORIBA will supply Qnami with core AFM (atomic force microscope) components necessary to meet the demand for Qnami ProteusQ™ microscopes.
HORIBA will become the exclusive global distributor of the Qnami ProteusQ™ through an established network of affiliates in Europe, China, Japan, rest of Asia, and the Americas.

Breakthrough in Performance for Customers

Mathieu Munsch, CEO of Qnami, stated: “The collaboration with HORIBA will directly benefit our customers. Not only will they experience a breakthrough in performance, but they will also get immediate global access to a robust and proven platform from a highly respected instrument company.”

Marc Chaigneau, Nanoscopy Business Unit Director, HORIBA Scientific, added: “The experiences, competencies, and compatibility of the future-oriented corporate strategies of both our companies complement each other perfectly. We are very pleased to be able to lay the foundation for a successful partnership with this collaboration, characterized by a common passion for solving customer challenges. Together, we envision that quantum-based microscopy will contribute to increasing the research productivity of our customers and that it will drive even further innovation in materials science.”

Laurent Fullana, President of HORIBA France, concluded: “The partnership between HORIBA and Qnami illustrates our strategy of offering game-changing innovation in scientific instrumentation to advanced materials luminaries. Assessing materials magnetic properties at the nanoscale will certainly enable the most advanced academic research. It will trigger a scientific breakthrough in various industries where we will strive to establish new standards in quantum microscopy. We are very proud of positioning ourselves with Qnami at the leading edge of promising new technological fields that will impact the world we live in.”

Qnami ProteusQ™: Redefining Magnetic Imaging

The Qnami ProteusQ™ platform is the result of the collaboration between HORIBA and Qnami. It is the first scanning probe microscope making use of NV technology – nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond – providing an unprecedented combination of spatial resolution and magnetic sensitivity under ambient conditions. The Qnami ProteusQ™ allows engineers and scientists to perform quantitative and non-perturbative analysis of surface magnetic fields at the nanoscale. This analysis of a large variety of magnetic samples such as antiferromagnets, multiferroics, and nanomagnets, supports the development of advanced materials, including spintronics devices.

Qnami ProteusQ™ key functionalities include:

Quantitative scanning NV magnetometer with a single-spin probe.
Non-perturbative DC magnetic field sensing.
AFM and NV measurement modes at ambient condition.
Automated sample approach and NV readout.
Ultra-low thermal drift AFM platform with robust confocal microscope.
Programmable control and measurement software.

The combination of the Qnami ProteusQ™ with Qnami’s Quantilever MX™ probes helps provide a direct quantitative measurement of the magnetic field with minimal calibration requirements.

Qnami ProteusQ™ key applications cover: