Correlated sensing with a solid-state quantum multisensor system for atomic-scale structural analysis

Developing superior quantum sensing strategies ranging from ultrahigh precision measurements to complex structural analyses is at the heart of quantum technologies. Although strategies to enhance the sensing precision using quantum resources, such as entanglement among sensors, have been abundantly demonstrated, the signal correlation among quantum sensors is rarely exploited. Here we develop a new sensing paradigm that exploits the signal correlation among multiple quantum sensors to resolve overlapping signals from multiple targets that individual sensors cannot resolve and complex structural construction techniques struggles with. By using three nitrogen-vacancy centres as a quantum electrometer system, we demonstrate this multisensor paradigm by resolving the fluctuating electric fields of individual defects from ensemble signals. We image the three-dimensional distribution of 16 dark electronic point defects in a diamond with accuracy approaching 1.7 nm via a GPS-like localization method. Furthermore, we obtain the real-time charge dynamics of individual point defects and visualize how the dynamics induce the well-known optical spectral diffusion. The multisensor paradigm extends the quantum sensing toolbox and offers new possibilities for structural analysis.