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Solid-state single spins are promising resources for quantum sensing, quantum-information processing and quantum networks, because they are compatible with scalable quantum-device engineering. However, the extension of their coherence times proves challenging. Although enrichment of the spin-zero 12 C and 28 Si isotopes drastically reduces spin-bath decoherence in diamond and silicon, the solid-state environment provides deleterious interactions between the electron spin and the remaining spins of its surrounding. Here we demonstrate, contrary to widespread belief, that an impurity-doped (phosphorus) n-type single-crystal diamond realises remarkably long spin-coherence times. Single electron spins show the longest inhomogeneous spin-dephasing time ( ms) and Hahn-echo spin-coherence time ( T 2 ≈ 2.4 ms) ever observed in room-temperature solid-state systems, leading to the best sensitivities. The extension of coherence times in diamond semiconductor may allow for new applications in quantum technology.

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have attracted significant interest because of their excellent spin and optical characteristics for quantum information and metrology. To take advantage of the characteristics, the precise control of the orientation of the N-V axis in the lattice is essential.Here we show that the orientation of more than 99 % of the NV centers can be aligned along the [111]axis by CVD homoepitaxial growth on (111)-substrates. We also discuss about mechanisms of the alignment. Our result enables a fourfold improvement in magnetic-field sensitivity and opens new avenues to the optimum design of NV center devices.

The properties of phosphorus incorporation for n-type doping of diamond are discussed and summarized. Doping of (0 0 1)-oriented diamond is introduced and compared with results achieved on (1 1 1) diamond. This review describes detailed procedures and conditions of plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (CVD) growth and characteristics of electrical properties of phosphorus-doped diamond. The phosphorus incorporation was characterized by SIMS analysis including mapping. n-type conductivity is evaluated by Hall-effect measurements over a temperature regime of 300–1000 K. The crystal perfection of (0 0 1)-oriented n-type diamond is also evaluated by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction and cathodoluminescence analyses. The results show that phosphorus atoms are incorporated into the diamond network during (0 0 1) CVD diamond growth and that phosphorus acts as a donor as in (1 1 1)-oriented diamond. This result eliminates the restriction on substrate orientation, which had previously created a bottleneck in the development of diamond electronic devices.

Apart from applications in classical information-processing devices, the electrical control of atomic defects in solids at room temperature will have a tremendous impact on quantum devices that are based on such defects. In this study, we demonstrate the electrical manipulation of individual prominent representatives of such atomic solid-state defects, namely, the negative charge state of single nitrogenvacancy defect centers (NV −) in diamond. We experimentally demonstrate, deterministic, purely electrical charge-state initialization of individual NV centers. The NV centers are placed in the intrinsic region of a p-in diode structure that facilitates the delivery of charge carriers to the defect for charge-state switching. The charge-state dynamics of a single NV center were investigated by time-resolved measurements and a nondestructive single-shot readout of the charge state. Fast charge-state switching rates (from negative to neutrally charged defects), which are greater than 0.72 AE 0.10 μs −1 , were realized. Furthermore, in no-operation mode, the realized charge states were stable for presumably much more than 0.45 s. We believe that the results obtained are useful not only for ultrafast electrical control of qubits, long T 2 quantum memory, and quantum sensors associated with single NV centers but also for classical memory devices based on single atomic storage bits working under ambient conditions.

The electric field inside semiconductor devices is a key physical parameter that determines the properties of the devices. However, techniques based on scanning probe microscopy are limited to sensing at the surface only. Here, we demonstrate the direct sensing of the internal electric field in diamond power devices using single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers. The NV center embedded inside the device acts as a nanoscale electric field sensor. We fabricated vertical diamond p-i-n diodes containing the single NV centers. By performing optically detected magnetic resonance measurements under reverse-biased conditions with an applied voltage of up to 150 V, we found a large splitting in the magnetic resonance frequencies. This indicated that the NV center senses the transverse electric field in the space-charge region formed in the i-layer. The experimentally obtained electric field values are in good agreement with those calculated by a device simulator. Furthermore, we demonstrate the sensing of the electric field in different directions by utilizing NV centers with different N-V axes. This direct and quantitative sensing method using an electron spin in a wide-band-gap material provides a way to monitor the electric field in operating semiconductor devices.

We fabricated inversion channel diamond metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with normally off characteristics. At present, Si MOSFETs and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) with inversion channels are widely used because of their high controllability of electric power and high tolerance. Although a diamond semiconductor is considered to be a material with a strong potential for application in next-generation power devices, diamond MOSFETs with an inversion channel have not yet been reported. We precisely controlled the MOS interface for diamond by wet annealing and fabricated p-channel and planar-type MOSFETs with phosphorus-doped n-type body on diamond (111) substrate. The gate oxide of Al2O3 was deposited onto the n-type diamond body by atomic layer deposition at 300 °C. The drain current was controlled by the negative gate voltage, indicating that an inversion channel with a p-type character was formed at a high-quality n-type diamond body/Al2O3 interface. The maximum drain current density and the field-effect mobility of a diamond MOSFET with a gate electrode length of 5 μm were 1.6 mA/mm and 8.0 cm2/Vs, respectively, at room temperature.

17Optical illumination to negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV − ) inevitably causes 18 stochastic charge-state transitions between NV − and neutral charge state of the NV center.It limits the 19 steady-state-population of NV − to 5% at minimum (~610 nm) and 80% (~532 nm) at maximum in 20 intrinsic diamond depending on the wavelength.. Here, we show Fermi level control by phosphorus 21 doping generates 99.4 ± 0.1% NV − under 1 μW and 593 nm excitation which is close to maximum 22 absorption of NV − . The pure NV − shows a five-fold increase of luminescence and a four-fold 23 enhancement of an optically detected magnetic resonance under 593 nm excitation compared with 24 those in intrinsic diamond. 25 26 27