A system comprising: a sensing probe formed of a diamond material, the sensing probe comprising; one or more spin defects configured to emit fluorescent light; an optical outcoupling structure formed by the diamond material, the optical outcoupling structure configured to optically guide the fluorescent light emitted by the one or more spin defects toward an output end of the optical outcoupling structure, wherein the sensing probe including the optical outcoupling structure is formed of a diamond component having at least one linear dimension greater than 1 μm in length, wherein the one or more spin defects are no more than 50 nm from a sensing surface of the sensing probe, and wherein a decoherence time of the one or more spin defects is greater than 10 μsec; the system further comprising: an optical excitation source configured to generate excitation light directed to the one or more spin defects causing the one or more spin defects to fluoresce; an optical detector configured to detect the fluorescent light that is emitted from the one or more spin defect and that exits through the output end of the optical outcoupling structure after being optically guided therethrough; and a mounting system configured to hold the sensing probe and control a distance between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and a surface of a sample while permitting relative motion between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and the sample surface, wherein the sensing probe is attached to the mounting system using a series of glues that cannot survive processing above 150°C; wherein the mounting system comprises an atomic force microscope. a sensing probe formed of a diamond material, the sensing probe comprising; one or more spin defects configured to emit fluorescent light; an optical outcoupling structure formed by the diamond material, the optical outcoupling structure configured to optically guide the fluorescent light emitted by the one or more spin defects toward an output end of the optical outcoupling structure, wherein the sensing probe including the optical outcoupling structure is formed of a diamond component having at least one linear dimension greater than 1 μm in length, wherein the one or more spin defects are no more than 50 nm from a sensing surface of the sensing probe, and wherein a decoherence time of the one or more spin defects is greater than 10 μsec; one or more spin defects configured to emit fluorescent light; an optical outcoupling structure formed by the diamond material, the optical outcoupling structure configured to optically guide the fluorescent light emitted by the one or more spin defects toward an output end of the optical outcoupling structure, wherein the sensing probe including the optical outcoupling structure is formed of a diamond component having at least one linear dimension greater than 1 μm in length, wherein the one or more spin defects are no more than 50 nm from a sensing surface of the sensing probe, and wherein a decoherence time of the one or more spin defects is greater than 10 μsec; the system further comprising: an optical excitation source configured to generate excitation light directed to the one or more spin defects causing the one or more spin defects to fluoresce; an optical detector configured to detect the fluorescent light that is emitted from the one or more spin defect and that exits through the output end of the optical outcoupling structure after being optically guided therethrough; and a mounting system configured to hold the sensing probe and control a distance between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and a surface of a sample while permitting relative motion between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and the sample surface, wherein the sensing probe is attached to the mounting system using a series of glues that cannot survive processing above 150°C; wherein the mounting system comprises an atomic force microscope. an optical excitation source configured to generate excitation light directed to the one or more spin defects causing the one or more spin defects to fluoresce; an optical detector configured to detect the fluorescent light that is emitted from the one or more spin defect and that exits through the output end of the optical outcoupling structure after being optically guided therethrough; and a mounting system configured to hold the sensing probe and control a distance between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and a surface of a sample while permitting relative motion between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and the sample surface, wherein the sensing probe is attached to the mounting system using a series of glues that cannot survive processing above 150°C; wherein the mounting system comprises an atomic force microscope.