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Frontiers in Optics

Revealing Spectral Diffusion in Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Nanodiamond by Photon Correlation Interferometry

Nikola Sadzak, Janik Wolters, Andreas Wolfgang Schell, Tim Schröder, Oliver J. Benson

Published Jan 1, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Nitrogen-vacancy centers are promising light sources for quantum technology. However, as a major hurdle, their optical emission line exhibits inhomogeneous broadening. We investigate this phenomenon using photon correlation interferometry, hinting towards the underlying mechanisms.
DOI
10.1364/fio.2013.ftu1c.3

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Spectral diffusion is the phenomenon of random jumps in the emission wavelength of narrow lines. This phenomenon is a major hurdle for applications of solid state quantum emitters like quantum dots, molecules, or diamond defect centers in an integrated quantum optical technology. Here, we provide further insight into the underlying processes of spectral diffusion of the zero-phonon line of single nitrogen vacancy centers in nano-size diamond by using a novel method based on photon correlation interferometry. The method works although the spectral diffusion rate is several orders of magnitude higher than the photon detection rate and thereby improves the time resolution of previous experiments with nano-size diamond by 6 orders of magnitude. We study the dependency of the spectral diffusion rate on the excitation power, temperature, and excitation wavelength under off-resonant excitation. Our results bring insight into the mechanism of spectral diffusion and suggest a strategy to increase the number of spectrally indistinguishable photons emitted by diamond nanocrystals.
Defect centers in diamond are regarded as a promising candidate for future solid state quantum technology. In particular the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center attracts researchers attention, as it promises to emit indistinguishable single photons and provides a triplet ground state with ultra long spin coherence times. In particular NV centers in nano diamonds are attractive, since they can be integrated into quantum photonic hybrid devices with nano manipulation techniques. We report on first demonstrations of the integration of NV-centers into photonic hybrid devices, and point out future applications. Beside the striking demonstrations of the integrability, nanodiamonds have several drawbacks. In particular the spectral diffusion of the zero-phonon line is addressed.
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Much attention has been paid to the nitrogen-vacancy ($N\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}V$) center in diamond as a promising emitter for applications in quantum information science and photonics, but so far even the best quantum emitters in nanodiamonds have suffered from spectral diffusion and broad zero-phonon lines. The authors show that $s\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n-v\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}y$ ($S\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}V$) defects in diamond exhibit a nearly lifetime-limited linewidth, do not suffer from blinking, and are optically stable even above saturation. These results point the way to progress in e.g.e.g.e.g. hybrid quantum photonics and quantum sensing.
Recently, a single-photon source based on the nitrogen vacancy center in a nanodiamond with a traceable spectral photon flux was realized [1]. In this article, we report on the determination of the measurement uncertainty of the spectral photon flux (about 4 %) and discuss its different components. Furthermore, the angular distribution of the emission of an NV center in a nanodiamond located in the vicinity of a dielectric boundary is calculated based on the model of Lukosz and Kunz. The agreement between the angular distribution calculation and the first-ever measurement of the angle-dependent emission in nanodiamond NV centers is satisfactory.
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.