\n\n
A team at the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing has demonstrated a new quantum‑sensing method that uses a single molecule to detect atomic‑scale magnetic signals. By keeping the sensor’s spin coherent for about 400 µs—roughly 60 × longer than conventional techniques—the researchers achieved mechanical readout of weak magnetic fields and small groups of nuclear spins, a key step toward molecular‑scale detection. While the current setup employed about 140 sensor molecules under cryogenic conditions, the approach promises eventual imaging of individual proteins, a capability that could transform drug discovery and structural biology. The work highlights how force‑based detection expands quantum‑sensing toolbox and moves the field closer to mapping single‑protein structures. [[1]]