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A prototype Full Stack fully Open Source NV Center Diamond Magnetometer!
V1 - this document and repository...
V2 - RELEASED @ DEF CON 33 in 2025!
There are several sections detailing the parts of the build:
/science - a folder with an explanation and references for the science behind the sensor./firmware - details the firmware used in the sensor.hardware - has two main sections
hardware/pcb - details the PCB schematics and partshardware/DiamondMount - details how the diamond is mountedWe are creating the world's first fully open-source quantum sensing platform designed from the start to be accessible, future-proof, and most importantly; hackable!
We are designing, building, provisioning, and aiming for distribution of a fully open hardware platform, complete with fully open firmware, that gives a firm basis for anyone to start learning about quantum sensing through nitrogen vacancy center diamond magnetometry.
By incorporating key design decisions, we are building the basis for what we think will be quantum technology's 'Apple II moment'; the opportunity for anyone who is curious to gain access to a quantum device that they can operate safely at home, with the full capability to customize, improve, develop with, and share knowledge about this incredible technology.
We have used the following four principles to guide the initial development of this project:
The design is in two iterations, but generally our features are:
We aim to cover all of the essential information for someone interested to learn about quantum sensing with Nitrogen Vacancy Centre Diamonds, and then have the information and parts-list to go ahead and construct such a device. To that end, we cover:
Everything is open source, including the firmware, and we welcome contributions to improve this design!
“Information flow is what the Internet is about. Information sharing is power. If you don't share your ideas, smart people can't do anything about them, and you'll remain anonymous and powerless.” -- Vint Cerf
We think that more projects in quantum technology should be open source, so that quantum tech can benefit from the rich ecosystem of 'ready-made' tooling that our existing software and classical technology stacks have enjoyed! We firmly believe that by creating an open-source baseline for quantum and quantum-related technologies we immediately gain a number of things:
The ballpark costs are as follows (in GBP):
| Item | Number | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Battery pack | 1 | Free to £5 |
| OpAmp + electronics | 1 | up to £5 |
| Laser Module | 1 | ~£5-15 |
| ADF4350/1 MW Generator | 1 | £15-25 |
| MW Gain (40dB) + BNC | 1 | £10 |
| PCB (unit from run) | 1 | ~£5 |
| OLED Screen | 1 | £5 |
| ESP32 board | 1 | ~£10 |
| NV Center Diamond | 1 | ~£10 |
| Epoxy and Cu Wire | 1 ea. | £10-15 |
| TOTAL | ~£115 |
We would like to thank the following folk for their help during this project:
Here are some key resources for this project:
Adapted in part from a safety sheet from Edmund Optics.
This project is under the Affero GPL license. This is a paritcularly restrictive license that demands any and all updates from anyone using this project. The AGPL is designed specifically to ensure that any modified material becomes available to the community. Specifically:
Notwithstanding any other provision of this License, if you modify the Program, your modified version must prominently offer all users interacting with it remotely through a computer network (if your version supports such interaction) an opportunity to receive the Corresponding Source of your version by providing access to the Corresponding Source from a network server at no charge, through some standard or customary means of facilitating copying of software. [...]
We have chosen this license as it promotes fairness to the community and broadens the scope of those benefiting from this project.
However, if you would like to re-license this for commercial use under a more forgiving license, such at the MIT License, then we are open to negotiations from companies who would like to use this work in return for substantial support of Quantum Village Inc. You can reach us at hello [a t] quantumvillage [d0t] org.
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