Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:1608.03119 · Nature Communications

Room-temperature spontaneous superradiance from single diamond nanocrystals

Carlo Bradac, Mattias Johnsson, Matthew van Breugel, Ben Q. Baragiola, Rochelle Martin, Mathieu L. Juan, Gavin K. Brennen, Thomas Volz

Published Oct 25, 2017• 132 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Abstract Superradiance (SR) is a cooperative phenomenon which occurs when an ensemble of quantum emitters couples collectively to a mode of the electromagnetic field as a single, massive dipole that radiates photons at an enhanced rate. Previous studies on solid-state systems either reported SR from sizeable crystals with at least one spatial dimension much larger than the wavelength of the light and/or only close to liquid-helium temperatures. Here, we report the observation of room-temperature superradiance from single, highly luminescent diamond nanocrystals with spatial dimensions much smaller than the wavelength of light, and each containing a large number (~ 10 3 ) of embedded nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres. The results pave the way towards a systematic study of SR in a well-controlled, solid-state quantum system at room temperature.

DOI
10.1038/s41467-017-01397-4

Related papers

Nanoscale sensing based on nitrogen vacancy centers in single crystal diamond and nanodiamonds: achievements and challenges

Mariusz Radtke, Ettore Bernardi, Abdallah Slablab +2 more

Abstract Powered by the mutual developments in instrumentation, materials and theoretical descriptions, sensing and imaging capabilities of quantum emitters in solids have significantly increased in the past two decades. Quantum emitters in solids, whose properties resemble those of atoms and ions, provide alternative ways to probing natural and artificial nanoscopic systems with minimum disturbance and ultimate spatial resolution. Among those emerging quantum emitters, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) color center in diamond is an outstanding example due to its intrinsic properties at room temperature (highly-luminescent, photo-stable, biocompatible, highly-coherent spin states). This review article summarizes recent advances and achievements in using NV centers within nano- and single crystal diamonds in sensing and imaging. We also highlight prevalent challenges and material aspects for different types of diamond and outline the main parameters to consider when using color centers as sensors. As a novel sensing resource, we highlight the properties of NV centers as light emitting electrical dipoles and their coupling to other nanoscale dipoles e.g. graphene.

Nano Futures•Dec 1, 2019•77 citations

Signatures of superradiance in intensity correlation measurements in a two-emitter solid-state system

Madhura Ghosh Dastidar, Aprameyan Desikan, Gniewomir Sarbicki +1 more

We perform intensity correlation ($g^{(2)}(τ)$) measurements on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) emitters embedded in diamond nanopillars. We observe an increase in transition rates from both the singlet and triplet states by a factor of $\approx 6$, indicating cooperative effects between the multiple emitters in the pillar, at room temperature. We simultaneously observe a $g^{(2)}(0) > 0.5 (\to 1$) as opposed to $g^{(2)}(0) < 0.5$ for others (and as expected for single emitters), indicating the presence of at least two emitters. Furthermore, we observe a triple exponential behaviour for the $g^{(2)}$ in contrast to the standard double exponential behaviour seen for single NV emitters. To understand our experimental observations, we developed a theoretical model. We solve the Lindblad master equation, tailored for single and two NV centers, to study their dissipative dynamics when coupled to a common electromagnetic field, at a finite temperature. Through this, we identify superradiant emission from a two-emitter system as the most likely explanation for our observed data. We also find that random number generation using the coupled emitter system performs better under the NIST test suite and explain it in terms of an entropy-driven model for a coupled emitter system. Our results provide a new signature for multiphotonic states, such as superradiant states, using intensity correlation measurements, that will become important for quantum photonic technologies progress.

arXiv:2408.01799•Aug 3, 2024•0 citations

Suitability of nanodiamond nitrogen–vacancy centers for spontaneous emission control experiments

Abbas Mohtashami, A. Femius Koenderink

Nitrogen–vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are generally recognized as highly promising as indefinitely stable highly efficient single-photon sources. We report an experimental quantification of the brightness, radiative decay rate, nonradiative decay rate and quantum efficiency of single NV centers in diamond nanocrystals. Our experiments show that the commonly observed large spread in fluorescence decay rates of NV centers in nanodiamond is inconsistent with the common explanation of large nanophotonic mode-density variations in the ultra-small high-index crystals at near-unity quantum efficiency. We report that NV centers in 25 nm nanocrystals are essentially insensitive to local density of optical states (LDOS) variations that we induce at a dielectric interface by using liquids to vary the refractive index, and propose that quantum efficiencies in such nanocrystals are widely distributed between 0 and 20%. For single NV centers in larger 100 nm nanocrystals, we show that decay rate changes can be reversibly induced by nanomechanically approaching a mirror to change the LDOS. Using this scanning mirror method, for the first time we report calibrated quantum efficiencies of NV centers, and show that different but nominally identical nanocrystals have widely distributed quantum efficiencies between 10 and 90%. Our measurements imply that nanocrystals that are to be assembled into hybrid photonic structures for cavity QED should first be individually screened to assess fluorescence properties in detail.

arXiv:1212.5172•New Journal of Physics•Apr 15, 2013•98 citations

Cooperatively-enhanced atomic dipole forces in optically trapped nanodiamonds containing NV centres, in liquid

Carlo Bradac, Mathieu L. Juan, Mattias Johnsson +7 more

We report on a new regime for optical trapping of diamond nanoparticles in liquid. While holding a nanodiamond (~150 nm) containing many NV centres (~10^3) at the focus of classical optical tweezers, we add a second laser slightly detuned from the dipole transition of the NVs. We measure a change in trap stiffness of ~10%. Remarkably, we show that our results must include collective effects – ‘superradiance’ – between colour centres, which has never been reported before for solid-state systems at room temperature. We discuss how these resonant forces depend on (and can be enhanced by) the type, number, dipole strength and spectral linewidth of the centres.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Dec 9, 2016•0 citations

A single photon source based on NV centers in diamond nanocrystals

Juliane Bahe, Xiaoqing Zhou, Tobias Jan Kippenberg +4 more

The development of reliable devices to generate single photons is crucial for applications in quantum cryptography, as well as for fundamental quantum optics experiments. Due to their extremely high photostability at room temperature, optically active defects in solids, the so called color centers, are among the most promising candidates. Single NV (nitrogen-vacancy) centers in diamond have been demonstrated to be able to generate single photons and have already shown advantages compared to attenuated laser pulses in a quantum cryptography experiment. The nitrogen-vacancy center (NV center) in diamond consists of a substitutional nitrogen atom and an adjacent vacancy. This complex exhibits an optical transition with a fluorescence lifetime of 11.6 ns. The room temperature spectrum of the NV center consists of the zero-phonon line at 637 nm and broad phononic sidebands with a FWHM of more than 100 nm. Due to the existence of a shelving level the efficiency of the NV center as a single photon source is limited. Additionally, the high diffraction index of bulk diamond restricts the efficiency to collect the fluorescence light.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2009•4 citations

Nonclassical radiation from diamond nanocrystals

A. Beveratos, Rosa Tualle-Brouri, Thierry Gacoin +2 more

The quantum properties of the fluorescence light emitted by diamond nanocrystals containing a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colored center are investigated. We have observed photon antibunching with very low background light. This system is therefore a very good candidate for the production of single photon on demand. In addition, we have measured a larger NV center lifetime in nanocrystals than in the bulk, in good agreement with a simple quantum electrodynamical model.

arXiv:quant-ph/0104028•Physical Review A•Nov 19, 2001•366 citations
Abstract Superradiance (SR) is a cooperative phenomenon which occurs when an ensemble of quantum emitters couples collectively to a mode of the electromagnetic field as a single, massive dipole that radiates photons at an enhanced rate. Previous studies on solid-state systems either reported SR from sizeable crystals with at least one spatial dimension much larger than the wavelength of the light and/or only close to liquid-helium temperatures. Here, we report the observation of room-temperature superradiance from single, highly luminescent diamond nanocrystals with spatial dimensions much smaller than the wavelength of light, and each containing a large number (~ 10 3 ) of embedded nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres. The results pave the way towards a systematic study of SR in a well-controlled, solid-state quantum system at room temperature.
Abstract Powered by the mutual developments in instrumentation, materials and theoretical descriptions, sensing and imaging capabilities of quantum emitters in solids have significantly increased in the past two decades. Quantum emitters in solids, whose properties resemble those of atoms and ions, provide alternative ways to probing natural and artificial nanoscopic systems with minimum disturbance and ultimate spatial resolution. Among those emerging quantum emitters, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) color center in diamond is an outstanding example due to its intrinsic properties at room temperature (highly-luminescent, photo-stable, biocompatible, highly-coherent spin states). This review article summarizes recent advances and achievements in using NV centers within nano- and single crystal diamonds in sensing and imaging. We also highlight prevalent challenges and material aspects for different types of diamond and outline the main parameters to consider when using color centers as sensors. As a novel sensing resource, we highlight the properties of NV centers as light emitting electrical dipoles and their coupling to other nanoscale dipoles e.g. graphene.
We perform intensity correlation (g(2)(τ)g^{(2)}(τ)g(2)(τ)) measurements on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) emitters embedded in diamond nanopillars. We observe an increase in transition rates from both the singlet and triplet states by a factor of ≈6\approx 6≈6, indicating cooperative effects between the multiple emitters in the pillar, at room temperature. We simultaneously observe a g(2)(0)>0.5(→1g^{(2)}(0) > 0.5 (\to 1g(2)(0)>0.5(→1) as opposed to g(2)(0)<0.5g^{(2)}(0) < 0.5g(2)(0)<0.5 for others (and as expected for single emitters), indicating the presence of at least two emitters. Furthermore, we observe a triple exponential behaviour for the g(2)g^{(2)}g(2) in contrast to the standard double exponential behaviour seen for single NV emitters. To understand our experimental observations, we developed a theoretical model. We solve the Lindblad master equation, tailored for single and two NV centers, to study their dissipative dynamics when coupled to a common electromagnetic field, at a finite temperature. Through this, we identify superradiant emission from a two-emitter system as the most likely explanation for our observed data. We also find that random number generation using the coupled emitter system performs better under the NIST test suite and explain it in terms of an entropy-driven model for a coupled emitter system. Our results provide a new signature for multiphotonic states, such as superradiant states, using intensity correlation measurements, that will become important for quantum photonic technologies progress.
Nitrogen–vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are generally recognized as highly promising as indefinitely stable highly efficient single-photon sources. We report an experimental quantification of the brightness, radiative decay rate, nonradiative decay rate and quantum efficiency of single NV centers in diamond nanocrystals. Our experiments show that the commonly observed large spread in fluorescence decay rates of NV centers in nanodiamond is inconsistent with the common explanation of large nanophotonic mode-density variations in the ultra-small high-index crystals at near-unity quantum efficiency. We report that NV centers in 25 nm nanocrystals are essentially insensitive to local density of optical states (LDOS) variations that we induce at a dielectric interface by using liquids to vary the refractive index, and propose that quantum efficiencies in such nanocrystals are widely distributed between 0 and 20%. For single NV centers in larger 100 nm nanocrystals, we show that decay rate changes can be reversibly induced by nanomechanically approaching a mirror to change the LDOS. Using this scanning mirror method, for the first time we report calibrated quantum efficiencies of NV centers, and show that different but nominally identical nanocrystals have widely distributed quantum efficiencies between 10 and 90%. Our measurements imply that nanocrystals that are to be assembled into hybrid photonic structures for cavity QED should first be individually screened to assess fluorescence properties in detail.
We report on a new regime for optical trapping of diamond nanoparticles in liquid. While holding a nanodiamond (~150 nm) containing many NV centres (~10^3) at the focus of classical optical tweezers, we add a second laser slightly detuned from the dipole transition of the NVs. We measure a change in trap stiffness of ~10%. Remarkably, we show that our results must include collective effects – ‘superradiance’ – between colour centres, which has never been reported before for solid-state systems at room temperature. We discuss how these resonant forces depend on (and can be enhanced by) the type, number, dipole strength and spectral linewidth of the centres.
The development of reliable devices to generate single photons is crucial for applications in quantum cryptography, as well as for fundamental quantum optics experiments. Due to their extremely high photostability at room temperature, optically active defects in solids, the so called color centers, are among the most promising candidates. Single NV (nitrogen-vacancy) centers in diamond have been demonstrated to be able to generate single photons and have already shown advantages compared to attenuated laser pulses in a quantum cryptography experiment. The nitrogen-vacancy center (NV center) in diamond consists of a substitutional nitrogen atom and an adjacent vacancy. This complex exhibits an optical transition with a fluorescence lifetime of 11.6 ns. The room temperature spectrum of the NV center consists of the zero-phonon line at 637 nm and broad phononic sidebands with a FWHM of more than 100 nm. Due to the existence of a shelving level the efficiency of the NV center as a single photon source is limited. Additionally, the high diffraction index of bulk diamond restricts the efficiency to collect the fluorescence light.