Magnetometer with a light emitting diode

• US 9,823,314 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Hahn, Joseph W., Bruce, Gregory S., Lew, Wilbur
• Primary Examiner(s): LEDYNH, BOT L
• Application Number:
  US15/218,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20170212185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 3242441
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0017 Means for compensating offset magnetic fields or the magnetic flux to be measured; Means for generating calibration magnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/032 using magneto-optic devices, e.g. Faraday or Cotton-Mouton effect

Abstract

A device includes a diamond with one or more nitrogen vacancies, a light emitting diode configured to emit light that travels through the diamond, and a photo sensor configured to sense the light. The device also includes a processor operatively coupled to the photo sensor. The processor is configured to determine, based on the light sensed by the photo sensor, a magnetic field applied to the diamond.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing power to a light emitting diode, wherein the light emitting diode is configured to emit light toward a diamond, wherein the diamond comprises a nitrogen vacancy;

receiving, at a processor, a first signal from a first sensor, wherein the first signal indicates a strength of a frequency of a first portion of the light emitted by the light emitting diode, wherein the first portion of the light does not travel through the diamond;

receiving, at the processor, a second signal from a second sensor, wherein the second signal indicates a strength of a frequency of a second portion of the light, wherein the second portion of the light travels through the diamond; and

comparing, based on the first signal and the second signal, the strength of the frequency of the first portion of the light and the strength of the frequency of the second portion of the light to determine a strength of a magnetic field applied to the diamond.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the light travels through a first filter, and wherein light traveling through the first filter and to the first photo sensor is substantially green.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the light travels through a second filter, and wherein light traveling through the second filter and to the second photo sensor is substantially red.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light emitted from the light emitting diode is substantially green.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting noise in the light emitted from the light emitting diode, and

compensating for noise in the second portion of the light based on the detected noise in the light emitted from the light emitting diode.