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Annales de Physique

Triggered single-photon source based on photoluminescence of single nickel-related colour centres in CVD-grown nanodiamonds

Chunyuan Zhou, E Wu, V. Jacques, J. R. Rabeau, François Treussart, Heping Zeng, Steven Prawer, Philippe Grangier, Jean-François Roch

Published Jan 1, 2007• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report the realization of a solid-state single-photon source in the near infrared regime at room temperature. It is based on the photoluminescence of a single nickel-related colour centre in a CVD grown diamond nanocrystal. Antibunching has been observed in the fluorescence light, with which we demonstrate a triggered single-photon source at room temperature.

DOI
10.1051/anphys:2008032

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IEEE/LEOS Summer Topical Meetings•Jan 1, 2006•0 citations
We report the realization of a solid-state single-photon source in the near infrared regime at room temperature. It is based on the photoluminescence of a single nickel-related colour centre in a CVD grown diamond nanocrystal. Antibunching has been observed in the fluorescence light, with which we demonstrate a triggered single-photon source at room temperature.
We report the realization of a solid-state triggered single-photon source with narrow emission in the near infrared at room temperature. It is based on the photoluminescence of a single nickel–nitrogen NE8 colour centre in a chemical vapour deposited diamond nanocrystal. Stable single-photon emission has been observed in the photoluminescence under both continuous-wave and pulsed excitations. The realization of this source represents a step forward in the application of diamond-based single-photon sources to quantum key distribution (QKD) under practical operating conditions.
We report on the observation of optically active colour centres based on Nickel-Nitrogen impurities in natural diamond samples. These emitters can efficiently generate single photons in the near infrared. Their photoluminescence is perfectly stable at room temperature and has several striking features, such as a narrow band emission around 780 nm and a short photon emission lifetime around 2 ns. We present a detailed study of their photophysical properties measured under continuous-wave excitation.
Owing to their unsurpassed photostability, defects in solids may be ideal candidates for single-photon sources. Here we report on generation of single photons by optical excitation of a yet unexplored defect in diamond, the nickel–nitrogen complex (NE8) centre. The most striking feature of the defect is its emission bandwidth of 1.2 nm at room temperature. The emission wavelength of the defect is around 800 nm, which is suitable for telecom fibres. In addition, in this spectral region little background light from the diamond bulk material is detected. Consequently, a high contrast in antibunching measurements is achieved.
The photoluminescence of a single nickel–nitrogen NE8 color center in a diamond nanocrystal is investigated at room temperature under pulsed excitation by scanning confocal optical microscopy. Photon arrival times are analyzed in terms of the temporal intensity correlation function. Antibunching at short times and bunching behavior for longer times is observed, associated with sub- and super-Poissonian statistics, respectively. The behavior is interpreted by a ‘on–off’ state model, and transition rates between these two states are inferred from intensity correlation measurements realized at different excitation powers. NE8 color center photoluminescence quantum yield is evaluated to be 65%, a value higher than achieved for a nitrogen-vacancy color center, which is, up to now, the most practical single emitter to build a reliable single-photon source at room temperature.