Angstrom-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Single Molecules via Wave-Function Fingerprints of Nuclear Spins

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with single-molecule sensitivity and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with atomic-scale resolution are the prime challenges in magnetic microscopy. The authors advance leading-edge quantum sensing by developing a scheme for MRI with angstrom-level resolution. This would determine the position and conformation of a single isotopically labeled molecule, using the response of an N00exV center in diamond to the characteristic wave-function signatures of target nuclear spins. This approach differs from typical multidimensional NMR, and beats the resolution limit set by frequency gradients in conventional MRI.