  Molecular color centers, such as $S=1$ Cr($o$-tolyl)$_{4}$, show promise as
an adaptable platform for magnetic quantum sensing. Their intrinsically small
size, i.e., 1-2 nm, enables them to sense fields at short distances and in
various geometries. This feature, in conjunction with tunable optical read-out
of spin information, offers the potential for molecular color centers to be a
paradigm shifting materials class beyond diamond-NV centers by accessing a
distance scale opaque to NVs. This capability could, for example, address
ambiguity in the reported magnetic fields arising from two-dimensional magnets
by allowing for a single sensing technique to be used over a wider range of
distances. Yet, so far, these abilities have only been hypothesized with
theoretical validation absent. We show through simulation that
Cr($o$-tolyl)$_{4}$ can spatially resolve proximity-exchange versus direct
magnetic field effects from monolayer CrI$_{3}$ by quantifying how these
interactions impact the excited states of the molecule. At short distances,
proximity exchange dominates through molecule-substrate interactions, but at
further distances the molecule behaves as a typical magnetic sensor, with
magnetostatic effects dominating changes to the energy of the excited state.
Our models effectively demonstrate how a molecular color center could be used
to measure the magnetic field of a 2D magnet and the role different
distance-dependent interactions contribute to the measured field.
