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Diamond Nitrogen-Vacancy Center Creation with Helium-Ion Microscope

Zhihong Huang, Wen‐Di Li, Charles Santori, Víctor M. Acosta, Andrei Faraon, Richard Stanley Williams, Raymond G. Beausoleil

Published Jan 1, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We investigate a method to create nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond using a focused-helium-ion-microscopy. Near-surface NV centers can be created with spatial resolution below 0.6μm. NV center spectral linewidths at various optical and microwave frequencies were also studied.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_qels.2013.jth2a.78

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Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond with coherent optical transitions are a promising candidate for quantum science and technology protocols. A widely used strategy for their creation is nitrogen-ion implantation and high-temperature annealing. The data presented in this work show that while low-strain, narrow-optical-linewidth NV centers are formed from naturally occurring 14{}^{14}14N atoms, NV centers formed from the implanted 15{}^{15}15N atoms show broadened optical transitions and experience higher strain. These results have immediate implications for the positioning accuracy of current NV center creation protocols.
Etching experiments were performed that reveal the vertical distribution of optically active nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond created in close proximity to a surface through ion implantation and annealing. The NV distribution depends strongly on the native nitrogen concentration, and spectral measurements of the neutral and negatively charged NV peaks give evidence for electron depletion effects in lower-nitrogen material. The results are important for potential quantum information and magnetometer devices where NV centers must be created in close proximity to a surface for coupling to optical structures.
Scalable realizations of quantum network technologies utilizing the nitrogen vacancy center in diamond require creation of optically coherent NV centers in close proximity to a surface for coupling to optical structures. We create single NV centers by 15^{15}15N ion implantation and high-temperature vacuum annealing. Origin of the NV centers is established by optically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy for nitrogen isotope identification. Near lifetime-limited optical linewidths (<<< 60 MHz) are observed for the majority of the normal-implant (7∘^\circ∘, ≈\approx≈ 100 nm deep) 15^{15}15NV centers. Long-term stability of the NV−^-− charge state and emission frequency is demonstrated. The effect of NV-surface interaction is investigated by varying the implantation angle for a fixed ion-energy, and thus lattice damage profile. In contrast to the normal implant condition, NVs from an oblique-implant (85∘^\circ∘, ≈\approx≈ 20 nm deep) exhibit substantially reduced optical coherence. Our results imply that the surface is a larger source of perturbation than implantation damage for shallow implanted NVs. This work supports the viability of ion implantation for formation of optically stable NV centers. However, careful surface preparation will be necessary for scalable defect engineering.
The negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond is among the most promising solid-state systems implementations of a quantum bit. However, integration of the NV center into any efficient photonic environment requires microstructuring the diamond at below-micrometer scale. Preserving the low NV zero-phonon line inhomogeneous broadening during this process is a major challenge with standard NV creation methods. This issue severely limits practical applications of NV centers. Initial studies on pulsed-laser assisted creation of NVs yielded promising results by creating NVs with low inhomogeneous broadening at desired spatial locations in diamond [1]. Crucially, the lattice damage resulting from implantation of energetic ions was avoided. However, the method relied on a narrow window of parameters for successful writing. We widen this window by using a solid immersion lens (SIL), which facilitates laser writing over a broad range of pulse energies and allows for vacancy formation close to a diamond surface without inducing surface graphitization. We operate in the previously unexplored regime where lattice vacancies are created following tunneling breakdown rather than multiphoton ionization [2]. We present NV arrays that have been created between 1 and 40 µm from a diamond surface, all presenting optical linewidth distributions with means as low as 61.0±22.8 MHz [2], including spectral diffusion induced by off-resonant repump for charge stabilization. This emphasizes the exceptionally low charge-noise environment of laser-written NVs. Such high-quality NV centers are excellent candidates for practical applications employing two-photon quantum interference with separate NV centers. Finally, we propose a model for disentangling power broadening from inhomogeneous broadening in the NV zero-phonon line optical linewidth [2]. [1] Y.-C. Chen, P. S. Salter, S. Knauer, … and J. M. Smith, Nat. Photonics 11, 77 (2017). [2] V. Yurgens, J.A Zuber, S. Flågan, M. De Luca, B.J. Shields, I. Zardo, P. Maletinsky, R.J. Warburton, and T. Jakubczyk, ACS Photonics 8, 1726–1734 (2021)