Ion implantation in diamond creates optically active defects which have emission lines in broad spectral regions and may be used in advanced photonics and optical communication applications. A brief review of the photoluminescence properties of Xe+ ion implanted diamond is presented. The Xe-related center is of particular interest as this center is one of a few centers (Ni, Si, Cr) in diamond having sharp emission lines in the infrared spectral region, specifically at 813 and 794nm. The paper discusses an approach to determine the important and difficult to measure conversion efficiency of implanted ions into emitting optical centers. The method uses micro-luminescence confocal mapping and statistical analysis based on a compound Poisson distribution, accounting for both the implanted centers and the optically excited centers statistics. Results of numerical simulations and experimental measurements are presented.
Ion implantation in diamond creates optically active defects which have emission lines in broad spectral regions and may be used in advanced photonics and optical communication applications. A brief review of the photoluminescence properties of Xe+ ion implanted diamond is presented. The Xe-related center is of particular interest as this center is one of a few centers (Ni, Si, Cr) in diamond having sharp emission lines in the infrared spectral region, specifically at 813 and 794nm. The paper discusses an approach to determine the important and difficult to measure conversion efficiency of implanted ions into emitting optical centers. The method uses micro-luminescence confocal mapping and statistical analysis based on a compound Poisson distribution, accounting for both the implanted centers and the optically excited centers statistics. Results of numerical simulations and experimental measurements are presented.
The work presents the results of optical studies of Xe-related defect in diamond. This defect is one of a few having narrow zero-phonon line in the near-infrared part of the photo-luminescence spectra. It appears in diamond after Xe+ ion implantation followed by thermal annealing. Given unique physical properties of diamond (hardness, optical transparency in wide spectral range, chemical inertness, high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion coefficient) and stability of Xe-related center it can be viewed as an potential candidate for the source of single-photons, or as optically manipulated qubit, not unlike nitrogen-vacancy center. However, compared to the latter Xe-related center is not as well understood and it is necessary to gain thorough understanding of its spatial structure, symmetry, electronic states and mechanisms of interaction with the host diamond lattice. This thesis addresses several questions, in regard to Xe-related center: 1) How efficiently this center is formed in the implantation/annealing process; 2) How does it interact with the host lattice to produce both homogeneous and inhomogeneous shape of the 811.7 nm zero-phonon line; and 3) What is the type and nature of transitions responsible for the 811.7 nm zero-phonon line. In answering the first question two methods for measuring the conversion efficiency of any kind of optically active defect have been developed and applied to Xe-related center in diamond. The study of line-broadening mechanisms showed how this center interacts with the strain produced by other neighboring Xe-centers, distributed in a plane-like geometry. Also, interaction with vibrational motions of the diamond lattice localized in the vicinity of the Xe-centers is analyzed and the parameters of this pseudo-local mode are found. Finally, using the effects of optical saturation in photo-luminescence under excitation with Gaussian laser beams it has been shown that 811.7 nm zero-phonon line is due to absorption and emission by circular magnetic dipole. Also, the site symmetry of Xe-related center has been confirmed as trigonal with the threefold axis oriented alongdirection in the diamond crystal.
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.
Silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond are gaining an increased interest for application, such as in quantum technologies and sensing. Due to the strong luminescence concentrated in its sharp zero-phonon line at room temperature, SiV centers are being investigated as single-photon sources for quantum communication, and also as temperature probes for sensing. Here, we discussed strategies for the fabrication of SiV centers in diamond based on Si-ion implantation followed by thermal activation. SiV color centers in high-quality single crystals have the best optical properties, but polycrystalline micro and nanostructures are interesting for applications in nano-optics. Moreover, we discuss the photoluminescence properties of SiV centers in phosphorous-doped diamond, which are relevant for the creation of electroluminescent devices, and nanophotonics strategies to improve the emission characteristics of the SiV centers. Finally, the optical properties of such centers at room and high temperatures show the robustness of the center and give perspectives for temperature-sensing applications.
The fabrication of luminescent defects in single-crystal diamond upon Sn implantation and annealing is reported. The relevant spectral features of the optical centers (emission peaks at 593.5, 620.3, 630.7, and 646.7 nm) are attributed to Sn-related defects through the correlation of their photoluminescence (PL) intensity with the implantation fluence. Single Sn-related defects were identified and characterized through the acquisition of their second-order autocorrelation emission functions, by means of Hanbury-Brown and Twiss interferometry. The investigation of their single-photon emission regime as a function of excitation laser power revealed that Sn-related defects are based on three-level systems with a 6 ns radiative decay lifetime. In a fraction of the studied centers, the observation of a blinking PL emission is indicative of the existence of a dark state. Furthermore, absorption dependence on the polarization of the excitation radiation with ∼45% contrast was measured. This work shed light on the existence of a new optical center associated with a group-IV impurity in diamond, with similar photophysical properties to the already well-known Si–V and Ge–V emitters, thus, providing results of interest from both the fundamental and applicative points of view.
Ni-related optical centres in diamond are promising as alternatives to the nitrogen vacancy (NV) centre for quantum applications and biomarking. In order to achieve the reliability and reproducibility required, a method for producing the Ni-related centres in a controllable manner needs to be established. In this study, we have attempted this control by implanting high purity CVD diamond samples with Ni and N followed by thermal annealing. Samples implanted with Ni show a new Ni-related PL peak centered at 711 nm and a well known doublet at 883/885 nm along with weak NV luminescence. The optical properties of the two Ni-related defects are investigated. In particular, an excited state lifetime of the 883/885 nm peak is measured to be 11.6 ns.
Diamond is a promising platform for the development of technological applications in quantum optics and photonics. The quest for color centers with optimal photo-physical properties has led in recent years to the search for novel impurity-related defects in this material. Here, we report on a systematic investigation of the photo-physical properties of two He-related (HR) emission lines at 535.2 nm and 559.7 nm (as measured at a temperature of 25 K) created in three different diamond substrates upon implantation with 1.3 MeV He+ ions and subsequent annealing. The spectral features of the HR centers were studied in an “optical grade” diamond substrate as a function of several physical parameters, namely, the measurement temperature, the excitation wavelength, and the intensity of external electric fields. The emission lifetimes of the 535.2 nm and 559.7 nm lines were also measured by means of time-gated photoluminescence measurements. The Stark shifting of the HR centers under the application of an external electrical field was observed in a CVD diamond film equipped with buried graphitic electrodes, suggesting the lack of inversion symmetry in the defects' structure. Furthermore, the photoluminescence mapping under 405 nm excitation of a “detector grade” diamond sample implanted at a He+ ion fluence of 1 × 1010 cm−2 enabled us to identify the spectral features of both the HR emission lines from the same localized optical spots. The reported results provide an insight into the structure of He-related defects in diamond and their possible utilization in practical applications.