Sensing of fluctuating nanoscale magnetic fields using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond.

New magnetometry techniques based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defects in diamond allow for the detection of static (dc) and oscillatory (ac) nanoscopic magnetic fields, yet are limited in their ability to detect fields arising from randomly fluctuating (FC) environments. We show here that FC fields restrict dc and ac sensitivities and that probing the NV dephasing rate in a FC environment should permit the characterization of FC fields inaccessible to dc and ac techniques. FC sensitivities are shown to be comparable to those of ac magnetometry and require no additional experimental overhead or sample control.