HORIBA Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Qnami to Accelerate Scanning NV Magnetometry Developments and Start Global Distribution of First Quantum Microscope Qnami ProteusQ™

|   Press Release

HORIBA is thrilled to announce a strategic collaboration with Qnami, leader and pioneer in scanning NV magnetometry based on diamond quantum sensing.

The multi-part agreement will allow materials science customers to benefit from solutions combining HORIBA’s advances in AFM instrumentation with Qnami’s game-changing innovation in quantum sensing.

Palaiseau, Saclay Campus, France, July 7th, 2020 – HORIBA, a global leader in measurement and analysis solutions for advanced research and industry, and the world leader in Raman microscopy and nanoscopy, is thrilled to announce a strategic collaboration with Qnami, leader and pioneer in scanning NV magnetometry based on diamond quantum sensing.
After a series of joint research projects, both companies have agreed to accelerate their developments to address the growing needs of cutting-edge technology for the quantitative and non-perturbative analysis of surface magnetic fields.

A Three-Dimensional Agreement

The cooperation with the innovator based in Basel, Switzerland, which specializes in quantum sensing and NV magnetometry, will cover three main areas: product development, supply and distribution of the first generation of quantum microscopes – as illustrated by the newly launched Qnami ProteusQ™.

  • Through this agreement, HORIBA and Qnami will continue their joint research in quantum AFM, capitalizing on their respective and complementary core competencies in the fields of near-field optics and materials sciences: surface analysis and nanoscopy, diamond-based quantum sensing and magnetometry.
  • HORIBA will supply Qnami with core AFM (atomic force microscope) components necessary to meet the demand for Qnami ProteusQ™ microscopes.
  • HORIBA will become the exclusive global distributor of the Qnami ProteusQ™ through an established network of affiliates in Europe, China, Japan, rest of Asia, and the Americas.

 

Breakthrough in Performance for Customers 

Mathieu Munsch, CEO of Qnami, stated: “The collaboration with HORIBA will directly benefit our customers. Not only will they experience a breakthrough in performance, but they will also get immediate global access to a robust and proven platform from a highly respected instrument company.”

Marc Chaigneau, Nanoscopy Business Unit Director, HORIBA Scientific, added: The experiences, competencies, and compatibility of the future-oriented corporate strategies of both our companies complement each other perfectly. We are very pleased to be able to lay the foundation for a successful partnership with this collaboration, characterized by a common passion for solving customer challenges. Together, we envision that quantum-based microscopy will contribute to increasing the research productivity of our customers and that it will drive even further innovation in materials science.”

Laurent Fullana, President of HORIBA France, concluded: “The partnership between HORIBA and Qnami illustrates our strategy of offering game-changing innovation in scientific instrumentation to advanced materials luminaries. Assessing materials magnetic properties at the nanoscale will certainly enable the most advanced academic research. It will trigger a scientific breakthrough in various industries where we will strive to establish new standards in quantum microscopy. We are very proud of positioning ourselves with Qnami at the leading edge of promising new technological fields that will impact the world we live in.”
 

Qnami ProteusQ™: Redefining Magnetic Imaging

The Qnami ProteusQ™ platform is the result of the collaboration between HORIBA and Qnami.  It is the first scanning probe microscope making use of NV technology – nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond – providing an unprecedented combination of spatial resolution and magnetic sensitivity under ambient conditions. The Qnami ProteusQ™ allows engineers and scientists to perform quantitative and non-perturbative analysis of surface magnetic fields at the nanoscale. This analysis of a large variety of magnetic samples such as antiferromagnets, multiferroics, and nanomagnets, supports the development of advanced materials, including spintronics devices.

Qnami ProteusQ™ key functionalities include:

  • Quantitative scanning NV magnetometer with a single-spin probe.
  • Non-perturbative DC magnetic field sensing.
  • AFM and NV measurement modes at ambient condition.
  • Automated sample approach and NV readout.
  • Ultra-low thermal drift AFM platform with robust confocal microscope.
  • Programmable control and measurement software.


The combination of the Qnami ProteusQ™ with Qnami’s Quantilever MX™ probes helps provide a direct quantitative measurement of the magnetic field with minimal calibration requirements.

Qnami ProteusQ™ key applications cover:

  • Materials sciences
  • Current imaging in integrated circuits
  • Spintronics
  • Antiferromagnets
  • Nanoscale ferromagnets
  • Non-volatile memories
  • 2D materials
  • Biological systems
  • Quantum devices
     

Price and Availability

Qnami ProteusQ™ is readily available to order now exclusively from HORIBA and its global network of affiliates/distributors. More information, price quotes and application notes can be obtained from: www.horiba.com/proteusq or: www.horiba.com/nv-magnetometry
 

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About the HORIBA Group:

The HORIBA Group of worldwide companies provides an extensive array of instruments and systems for applications ranging from automotive R&D, process and environmental monitoring, in-vitro medical diagnostics, semiconductor manufacturing and metrology, to a broad range of scientific R&D and QC measurements. Proven quality and trustworthy performance have established widespread confidence in the HORIBA brand over years. www.horiba.com
 

About HORIBA France:

HORIBA France SAS, headquartered in Palaiseau, France, brings together the activities of the HORIBA group’s four main divisions: HORIBA Scientific, HORIBA Process & Environment, HORIBA Automotive Test Systems and HORIBA Semiconductor, providing research with an extensive array of instruments and customized solutions. Our instruments can be found in industries and universities around the world, at both public and private institutions. Based on the scientific know-how and knowledge of specific European, process, environment and automotive markets, HORIBA France SAS designs and markets innovative solutions based on cutting-edge technologies and systems. The company includes three sites that are: Longjumeau, Villeneuve d’Ascq (near Lille), and Palaiseau, main European Research and Development Center, located in the prestigious Paris-Saclay science campus. In 2019 the company celebrated the 200th anniversary of HORIBA Jobin Yvon, predecessor to HORIBA France SAS.
 

About Qnami:

Qnami is a VC-backed high-tech company with its roots at the Physics Department of the University of Basel in Switzerland. We develop fundamental new technology using quantum mechanics. The control and measurement of the state of a single electron enables us to measure what could never be measured before. We call this quantum sensing and are enthusiastically developing this technique to improve people’s lives and the world. Extensive academic research and deep knowledge build the ground for all we do. With our technology, we are redefining the common understanding of precision. Qnami offers an open team culture of mutual respect and intercultural understanding. We are both business and scientific minded. Young, multicultural, open and skilled, we have a deep passion for our work. . www.qnami.ch
 

Media Contacts (editorial only):

Pascal Cerruti, Marketing Director, HORIBA France
Contact: +33 (0)1 69 74 72 00
Email: pascal.cerruti(at)horiba.com
Website: www.horiba.com

Mathieu Munsch, CEO, Qnami
Contact: +41 61 207 3740
Email: mathieu.munsch(at)qnami.ch
Website: www.qnami.ch

ProteusQ - scanning NV magnetometer
The new ProteusQ from Qnami, developed in collaboration with – and distributed by – HORIBA Scientific is a scanning NV magnetometer for quantitative and non-perturbing analysis of surface magnetic fields. Credits: © Qnami, 2020