Native NIR-emitting single colour centres in CVD diamond

Abstract

Single-photon sources are a fundamental element for developing quantum technologies, and sources based on colour centres in diamonds are among the most promising candidates. The well-known nitrogen vacancy centres are characterized by several limitations, and thus few other defects have recently been considered. In the present work, we characterize, in detail, native efficient single colour centres emitting in the near infra-red (λ = 740-780 nm) in both standard IIa single-crystal and electronic-grade polycrystalline commercial chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond samples. In the former case, a hightemperature (T > 1000°C) annealing process in vacuum is necessary to induce the formation/activation of luminescent centres with good emission properties, while in the latter case the annealing process has marginally beneficial effects on the number and performance of native centres in commercially available samples. Although displaying significant variability in several photo-physical properties (emission wavelength, emission rate instabilities, saturation behaviours), these centres generally display appealing photophysical properties for Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. applications as single photon sources: short lifetimes (0.7-3 ns), high emission rates (∼50-500 × 10 3 photons s −1 ) and strongly (>95%) polarized light. The native centres are tentatively attributed to impurities incorporated in the diamond crystal during the CVD growth of high-quality type-IIa samples, and offer promising perspectives in diamond-based photonics.Single photon sources represent a key element for developing quantum technologies [1][2][3][4]. Diamond offers a promising platform for the implementation of single-photon-emitter architectures, due to the vast range of available luminescent defects [5,6] with suitable emission properties that can be allocated in a broadly transparent crystal structure. The nitrogenvacancy (NV − ) complex has established a prominent role as a single photon emitter in several pioneering works [7-9], due to its ubiquity, quantum efficiency and well-understood electronic transition structure [10]. In the last decade, single NV − emitters were successfully employed to implement quantum cryptography schemes [11][12][13][14] as well as more fundamental demonstrations of quantum complementarity and entanglement [15][16][17][18]. At the same time, the research in diamond-based single-photon sources has broadened to new types of defects, with the goal of overcoming some inherent limitations in the NV − centre, namely its strong phonon coupling, relatively long lifetime and charge-state blinking. In particular, the identification of centres emitting in the near-infrared (NIR) offers the perspective of combining diamond colour centres with Si-based photodetectors in the spectral range where they are maximally efficient...

Photo-physical properties of He-related color centers in diamond

“…In recent years, a growing interest in this research field led to the discovery, investigation and fabrication of several classes of impurity-related defects [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”

High performing SPS based on native NIR-emitting single colour centers in diamond

“…The structure and origin of this defects are still debated and a more detailed discussion on this matter can be found elsewere. 29 Here we will limit ourselves to the characterization of this centers as single-photon emitters.…”

Новые Линии Люминесценции В Полученных Методом Химического Газофазного Осаждения Наноалмазах

“…В алмазных пленках и частицах, полученных методом химического газофазного осаждения (chemical vapor deposition-CVD), наиболь-ший интерес прикован к следующим центрам окраски: кремний−вакансия (SiV) [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], Ni-содержащим [21-25], Сr-содержащим [26][27][28], азот−вакансия (NV) [29,30]. Недавно в спектрах ФЛ в алмазе, полученном методом CVD, обнаружены узкие линии ФЛ [31][32][33], структура и механизм формирования которых остаются не до конца установленными.…”

“…В алмазных пленках и частицах, полученных методом химического газофазного осаждения (chemical vapor deposition-CVD), наиболь-ший интерес прикован к следующим центрам окраски: кремний−вакансия (SiV) [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], Ni-содержащим [21-25], Сr-содержащим [26][27][28], азот−вакансия (NV) [29,30]. Недавно в спектрах ФЛ в алмазе, полученном методом CVD, обнаружены узкие линии ФЛ [31][32][33], структура и механизм формирования которых остаются не до конца установленными.Для практического использования эмиттеров на ос-нове центров окраски необходимо подавление фоно-вого сигнала ФЛ и уменьшение влияния безызлуча-тельных каналов люминесценции, что может быть до-стигнуто в алмазе с низким содержанием структурных дефектов.Данная работа посвящена обнаружению и исследо-ванию спектральных характеристик узких линий ФЛ наноалмазов в видимом и ближнем ИК спектральном диапазоне в интервале температур 10−300 K. Наноал-мазы получены методом реактивного ионного травления (РИТ) в кислородной плазме алмазных частиц, выращен-ных методом микроволнового химического газофазного осаждения (MWCVD) на кремнии [34]. Травление уда-ляет из алмазных частиц наиболее дефектные области, имеющие внутренние напряжения, которые ответствен-ны за уширение рамановской линии и неоднородное уширение линий ФЛ центров окраски [34].…”