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arXiv:2409.06359 · ACS Photonics

Photoactivation of Color Centers Induced by CW Laser Irradiation in Ion-Implanted Diamond

Vanna Pugliese, Elena Nieto Hernández, Emilio Corte, Marco Govoni, Sviatoslav Ditalia Tchernij, P. Olivero, J. Forneris

Published Jul 1, 2025• 5 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Split-vacancy color centers in diamonds are promising solid-state platforms for the implementation of photonic quantum technologies. These luminescent defects are commonly fabricated upon low-energy ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing. Their technological uptake will require the availability of reliable methods for the controlled, large-scale production of localized individual photon emitters. This task is partially achieved by controlled ion implantation to introduce selected impurities in the host material and requires the development of challenging beam focusing or collimation procedures coupled with single-ion detection techniques. We report on the protocol for the direct optical activation of split-vacancy color centers in diamond via localized processing with a continuous-wave laser at mW optical powers. We demonstrate the activation of photoluminescent Mg- and Sn-related centers at both the ensemble and single-photon emitter levels in ion-implanted, high-purity diamond crystals without further thermal processing. The proposed lithographic method enables the activation of individual color centers at specific positions of a large-area sample by means of a relatively inexpensive equipment offering real-time, in situ monitoring of the process.

DOI
10.1021/acsphotonics.5c00826

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Split-vacancy color centers in diamonds are promising solid-state platforms for the implementation of photonic quantum technologies. These luminescent defects are commonly fabricated upon low-energy ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing. Their technological uptake will require the availability of reliable methods for the controlled, large-scale production of localized individual photon emitters. This task is partially achieved by controlled ion implantation to introduce selected impurities in the host material and requires the development of challenging beam focusing or collimation procedures coupled with single-ion detection techniques. We report on the protocol for the direct optical activation of split-vacancy color centers in diamond via localized processing with a continuous-wave laser at mW optical powers. We demonstrate the activation of photoluminescent Mg- and Sn-related centers at both the ensemble and single-photon emitter levels in ion-implanted, high-purity diamond crystals without further thermal processing. The proposed lithographic method enables the activation of individual color centers at specific positions of a large-area sample by means of a relatively inexpensive equipment offering real-time, in situ monitoring of the process.
Group-IV color centers in diamond are promising solid-state quantum emitters due to their favorable optical properties, yet deterministic fabrication via ion implantation remains challenging. We investigated the photoactivation of Si-, Ge-, Sn-, and Pb-implanted diamond using continuous-wave (CW) 405 nm laser irradiation at milliwatt powers. The photoactivation follows a characteristic energy dependence consistent with charge state transitions induced by photon absorption. Notably, the PbV − center demonstrated a photoactivation yield of approximately 0.4%, suggesting a viable route for spatially controlled fabrication of single quantum emitters.
Abstract We report on the creation and characterization of Pb-related color centers in diamond upon ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing. Their optical emission in the photoluminescence (PL) regime consists of an articulated spectrum with intense emission peaks at 552.1 and 556.8 nm, accompanied by a set of additional lines in the 535–700 nm range. The attribution of the PL emission to stable Pb-based defects is corroborated by the correlation of its intensity with the implantation fluence of Pb ions. PL measurements performed as a function of sample temperature (in the 143–300 K range) and under different excitation wavelengths (i.e., 532, 514, 405 nm) suggest that the complex spectral features observed in Pb-implanted diamond might be related to a variety of different defects and/or charge states. The emission of the 552.1 and 556.8 nm lines is reported at the single-photon emitter level, demonstrating that they originate from the same individual defect. This work follows from previous reports on optically active centers in diamond based on group-IV impurities, such as Si, Ge, and Sn. In perspective, a comprehensive study of this set of defect complexes could bring significant insight on the common features involved in their formation and opto-physical properties, thus offering a basis for the development of a new generation of quantum-optical devices.
Spin-photon interfaces based on group-IV colour centres in diamond offer a promising platform for quantum networks. A key challenge in the field is realizing precise single-defect positioning and activation, which is crucial for scalable device fabrication. Here we address this problem by demonstrating a two-step fabrication method for tin vacancy (SnV-) centres that uses site-controlled ion implantation followed by local femtosecond laser annealing with in-situ spectral monitoring. The ion implantation is performed with sub-50 nm resolution and a dosage that is controlled from hundreds of ions down to single ions per site, limited by Poissonian statistics. Using this approach, we successfully demonstrate site-selective creation and modification of single SnV- centres. The technique opens a window onto materials tuning at the single defect level, and provides new insight into defect structures and dynamics during the annealing process. While demonstrated for SnV- centres, this versatile approach can be readily generalised to other implanted colour centres in diamond and wide-bandgap materials.
Abstract Spin-photon interfaces based on group-IV colour centres in diamond offer a promising platform for quantum networks. A key challenge in the field is realising precise single-defect positioning and activation, which is crucial for scalable device fabrication. Here we address this problem by demonstrating a two-step fabrication method for tin vacancy (SnV−) centres that uses site-controlled ion implantation followed by local femtosecond laser annealing with in-situ spectral monitoring. The ion implantation is performed with sub-50 nm resolution and a dosage that is controlled from hundreds of ions down to single ions per site, limited by Poissonian statistics. Using this approach, we successfully demonstrate site-selective creation and modification of single SnV− centres. Our in-situ spectral monitoring opens a window onto materials tuning at the single defect level, and provides new insight into defect structures and dynamics during the annealing process. While demonstrated for SnV− centres, this versatile approach can be readily generalised to other implanted colour centres in diamond and wide-bandgap materials.
Group IV color centers in diamond have garnered great interest for their potential as optically active solid-state spin qubits. The future utilization of such emitters requires the development of precise site-controlled emitter generation techniques that are compatible with high-quality nanophotonic devices. This task is more challenging for color centers with large group IV impurity atoms, which are otherwise promising because of their predicted long spin coherence times without a dilution refrigerator. For example, when applied to the negatively charged tin-vacancy (SnV – ) center, conventional site-controlled color center generation methods either damage the diamond surface or yield bulk spectra with unexplained features. Here we demonstrate a novel method to generate site-controlled SnV – centers with clean bulk spectra. We shallowly implant Sn ions through a thin implantation mask and subsequently grow a layer of diamond via chemical vapor deposition. This method can be extended to other color centers and integrated with quantum nanophotonic device fabrication.
Abstract Negatively charged nitrogen‐vacancy (NV − ) centers in diamond are appealing for quantum sensing applications due to their environmental sensitivity and long coherence times. Precise and scalable shallow color center creation is essential yet challenging for technological quantum applications. This is due to the involvement of several lengthy processes, such as ion implantation and thermal annealing of the samples. The latter process can be addressed by application of an alternative activation technique that bypasses the high‐temperature annealing. For this, nitrogen‐implanted regions on a diamond substrate are exposed to continuous‐wave 405 nm laser radiation. The illumination leads to local activation of NV − centers with photoluminescence yield saturation for regions activated with laser power at around 800 µW. For low implantation doses, single NV − centers are created with corresponding mean T 2 coherence time value around 71 µs. The NV − creation yield for the lower implantation doses match conventional creation methods, while higher doses show reduced yield values. However, the coherent properties are comparable to NV − centers within annealed samples. This shows that the activated NV − centers are well‐suited for advanced applications in quantum sensing and related technologies.