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

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)

A solid state single photon source based on SiV centers in diamond

Juliane Bahe, Chunlang Wang, Vladimir Chernyshev, Bernd Burchard, Harald Weinfurter

Published Jun 1, 2007• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1109/cleoe-iqec.2007.4386885

Related papers

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

Single-Photon Emission from Silicon-Vacancy Color Centers in Polycrystalline Diamond Membranes

Assegid M. Flatae, Florian Sledz, Haritha Kambalathmana +5 more

Color centers in diamond are being studied as potential single-photon sources for quantum devices. As a single-photon source, the silicon-vacancy (SiV) color center has demonstrated the most promise among them. Even at room temperature and at higher temperatures, it shows strong emission in the zero-phonon line (ZPL) [1].

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 23, 2025•0 citations

Solid-State Color Centers for Single-Photon Generation

Greta Andrini, Francesco Amanti, Fabrizio Armani +37 more

Single-photon sources are important for integrated photonics and quantum technologies, and can be used in quantum key distribution, quantum computing, and sensing. Color centers in the solid state are a promising candidate for the development of the next generation of single-photon sources integrated in quantum photonics devices. They are point defects in a crystal lattice that absorb and emit light at given wavelengths and can emit single photons with high efficiency. The landscape of color centers has changed abruptly in recent years, with the identification of a wider set of color centers and the emergence of new solid-state platforms for room-temperature single-photon generation. This review discusses the emerging material platforms hosting single-photon-emitting color centers, with an emphasis on their potential for the development of integrated optical circuits for quantum photonics.

Photonics•Feb 19, 2024•28 citations

Photons singled out

The ability to generate single photons on demand is one of the most crucial tasks in quantum optics. Such a photon source could be used in quantum cryptography where each bit of information is encoded on a single photon, or to make quantum logic gates. Now two teams of researchers from Germany and France have shown that certain defects within synthetic diamond can emit single photons at room temperature. Moreover, these solid-state devices have a high quantum efficiency and could potentially be miniaturized – making them ideal candidates as single-photon sources for practical applications (C Kurtsiefer et al. 2000 Phys. Rev. Lett.85 290, R Broui et al.. xxx.lanl.gov/abs/quant-ph/0007032).

Physics World•Aug 1, 2000•0 citations

Electrical excitation of color centers in diamond: Toward practical single-photon sources

Igor A. Khramtsov, Mario Agio, Dmitry Yu. Fedyanin

Optical sources that deliver single photons on demand play a key role in quantum cryptography and optical quantum computations. At present, color centers in wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) and silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond, are considered to be the most promising candidates for practical quantum information applications owing to their unique emission properties at room temperature. However, for practical reasons, single-photon sources should be pumped electrically, which is required for integrability, scalability, and energy efficiency. However, diamond and related wide-bandgap semiconductor materials are at the interface between insulators and semiconductors, which makes electrical excitation of color centers very challenging. Here, we report on our progress in the understanding of single-photon electroluminescence of color centers in diamond, discuss different factors affecting the brightness of these emitter under electrical excitation, and study how to improve the performance of electrically- pumped single-photon sources based on color centers in diamond.

AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 2021•4 citations

Ultrabright electrically driven single-photon source on diamond operating above room temperature

Dmitry Yu. Fedyanin, Mario Agio

Operation at the single-photon level is beneficial for energy efficiency in optical and optoelectronic devices and opens new prospects for novel applications, ranging from quantum cryptography to quantum computations. In this regard, efficient single-photon sources operating upon electrical injection at room temperature are crucially important. Color centers in diamond are currently considered to be the best candidates capable of room temperature operation. These defects in the lattice structure have been studied intensively during the last two decades, and optically driven single-photon sources have been demonstrated. However, the possibility of operation upon electrical injection was not clear until recently mainly because diamond is a unique material at the interface between solid-state and semiconductor physics. The demonstrated photon emission rate under electrical pumping did not exceed a few tens of kcounts per second [1], which is several orders of magnitude lower than the emission rate of optically pumped centers [2] and is well below the level required for practical applications. Since the mechanism of electroluminescence of the color center in diamond was not known, it was not clear to what extent the single-photon emission rate upon electrical injection could be increased.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2017•2 citations
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.
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.
Single-photon sources are important for integrated photonics and quantum technologies, and can be used in quantum key distribution, quantum computing, and sensing. Color centers in the solid state are a promising candidate for the development of the next generation of single-photon sources integrated in quantum photonics devices. They are point defects in a crystal lattice that absorb and emit light at given wavelengths and can emit single photons with high efficiency. The landscape of color centers has changed abruptly in recent years, with the identification of a wider set of color centers and the emergence of new solid-state platforms for room-temperature single-photon generation. This review discusses the emerging material platforms hosting single-photon-emitting color centers, with an emphasis on their potential for the development of integrated optical circuits for quantum photonics.
The ability to generate single photons on demand is one of the most crucial tasks in quantum optics. Such a photon source could be used in quantum cryptography where each bit of information is encoded on a single photon, or to make quantum logic gates. Now two teams of researchers from Germany and France have shown that certain defects within synthetic diamond can emit single photons at room temperature. Moreover, these solid-state devices have a high quantum efficiency and could potentially be miniaturized – making them ideal candidates as single-photon sources for practical applications (C Kurtsiefer et al. 2000 Phys. Rev. Lett.85 290, R Broui et al.. xxx.lanl.gov/abs/quant-ph/0007032).
Optical sources that deliver single photons on demand play a key role in quantum cryptography and optical quantum computations. At present, color centers in wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) and silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond, are considered to be the most promising candidates for practical quantum information applications owing to their unique emission properties at room temperature. However, for practical reasons, single-photon sources should be pumped electrically, which is required for integrability, scalability, and energy efficiency. However, diamond and related wide-bandgap semiconductor materials are at the interface between insulators and semiconductors, which makes electrical excitation of color centers very challenging. Here, we report on our progress in the understanding of single-photon electroluminescence of color centers in diamond, discuss different factors affecting the brightness of these emitter under electrical excitation, and study how to improve the performance of electrically- pumped single-photon sources based on color centers in diamond.
Operation at the single-photon level is beneficial for energy efficiency in optical and optoelectronic devices and opens new prospects for novel applications, ranging from quantum cryptography to quantum computations. In this regard, efficient single-photon sources operating upon electrical injection at room temperature are crucially important. Color centers in diamond are currently considered to be the best candidates capable of room temperature operation. These defects in the lattice structure have been studied intensively during the last two decades, and optically driven single-photon sources have been demonstrated. However, the possibility of operation upon electrical injection was not clear until recently mainly because diamond is a unique material at the interface between solid-state and semiconductor physics. The demonstrated photon emission rate under electrical pumping did not exceed a few tens of kcounts per second [1], which is several orders of magnitude lower than the emission rate of optically pumped centers [2] and is well below the level required for practical applications. Since the mechanism of electroluminescence of the color center in diamond was not known, it was not clear to what extent the single-photon emission rate upon electrical injection could be increased.