Scientists create highly-sensitive diamond quantum sensors to monitor EV batteries
Upon testing the sensor using optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique, researchers found that it could measure small currents as low as 10 milliamperes over different time durations.
As EV manufacturers aim for cars with longer range, faster charging, and improved safety, the demand for effective EV battery management technology is increasing. The sensors currently used for monitoring EV batteries often suffer from heating and energy losses, struggle with low accuracy, and sometimes fail to detect small fluctuations in battery current, leading to less efficient energy management.
Diamond quantum sensors can overcome many of these challenges. However, one catch is that the diamond crystals used for these sensors are usually minute, measuring only a few millimeters wide. The limitation posed by their size—which stems from difficulties in manufacturing larger diamond substrates—restricts how these sensors can be used in different industries.
In a bid to address the problem, Japanese researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo (ISCT) have created a large-area diamond substrate with nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers on a non-diamond substrate. This setup works like the perfect platform for highly-sensitive diamond quantum sensors for EV batteries.