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

Optical Materials Express

Principle study of the europium vacancy color center in a diamond

Xin Tan, Zhixin Liu, Zhiyu Liu, Yuan Ren, Shiyang Sun, Huiling Jia

Published Nov 18, 2020• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

First-principles analyses are performed on the diamond europium vacancy (EuV) color center. Three different models indicate that the structure of the EuV color center contains a stable vacancy around the Eu atom. Energy band calculations show that the stable EuV color center has spin polarization and its spin-up energy level structure is highly suitable as a single-photon source. The zero-point transition energy is 1.989 eV (623 nm). The existence of metastable energy levels in the EuV is also predicted. Nitrogen atoms have a negative impact on the electronic structure of the EuV, in comparison to diamond color centers such as NE8 and TiV-N.

DOI
10.1364/ome.410064

Related papers

Structural stability of Pr-related defects in diamond and electronic structure single photon source: A first-principles study

Xin Tan, Tiebang Liu, Xuejie Liu +6 more

On the basis of the first-principles method, this paper discusses a new type of diamond PrV color center by using Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package software and optimizes the possible configurations of the PrV defect. Theoretically, a stable structure of the diamond PrV color center is one where Pr is located at the center of the double vacancy. The electronic structure of the diamond color center is calculated by using this stable structure, and its energy band and energy level structures are obtained. A zero-phonon line (ZPL) of 1.0185 eV and emission wavelength of 1217.5 nm are predicted for the PrV color center. Calculation of the effects of co-doping of the diamond PrV color center with N or B atoms reveals improvements in energy band and energy level structures and provides a theoretical basis for the experimental preparation of PrV color centers.

AIP Advances•Oct 1, 2018•7 citations

Theoretical analysis and experimental preparation of nanodiamond yttrium vacancy color center

Xin Tan, Hao Wang, Minjie Li +5 more

Abstract This study conducts a theoretical analysis on the stable structure, charge transfer, energy level transition, and electronic structure of a diamond yttrium vacancy color center. The color center in a diamond is very important as a single photon source material for quantum information processing technology and applications, such as temperature sensors, solid-state quantum systems, photonics, lighting, imaging technology, and biomedicine. Nanodiamond yttrium vacancy color centers are prepared using the solid substitution method with physical vapor deposition and microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition equipment. The density functional theory (DFT) is used to analyze the stability, electronic structure, and co-doping of N, Si, and O on the related defect structure of a rare Earth element yttrium-doped diamond using first-principle calculations, demonstrating consistency with the experimental results. The research shows that the fluorescence wavelength of an yttrium vacancy color center measured using the solid substitution method is 701.2 nm, which is located in the red region. The system is most stable when a Y atom replaces a carbon atom and there are two vacancies around it. The zero-phonon line of the diamond YV2 defect is predicted to be 708.855 nm. Additionally, the influence doping is analyzed with N, Si, and O atoms. An yttrium-doped diamond emits light in the visible light region, which provides a theoretical basis for the application of diamond yttrium vacancy color centers.

Physica Scripta•Jan 24, 2023•2 citations

Germanium-Vacancy Single Color Centers in Diamond

Takayuki Iwasaki, Fumitaka Ishibashi, Yoshiyuki Miyamoto +13 more

Atomic-sized fluorescent defects in diamond are widely recognized as a promising solid state platform for quantum cryptography and quantum information processing. For these applications, single photon sources with a high intensity and reproducible fabrication methods are required. In this study, we report a novel color center in diamond, composed of a germanium (Ge) and a vacancy (V) and named the GeV center, which has a sharp and strong photoluminescence band with a zero-phonon line at 602 nm at room temperature. We demonstrate this new color center works as a single photon source. Both ion implantation and chemical vapor deposition techniques enabled fabrication of GeV centers in diamond. A first-principles calculation revealed the atomic crystal structure and energy levels of the GeV center.

Scientific Reports•Aug 7, 2015•353 citations

Electronic structure of the nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond.

David A. Redman

The nitrogen - vacancy (N-V) center is a point defect found in diamonds containing substitutional nitrogen impurities. It arises after exposure to ionizing radiation and subsequent thermal annealing. The physical structure of the center has previously been identified as a substitutional nitrogen atom located adjacent to a neutral carbon vacancy, but prior to this work knowledge of its electronic structure was very incomplete. The results presented here are intended to establish the energy level structure of the N-V center unambiguously, using nonlinear laser spectroscopy in concert with paramagnetic resonance experiments. A new technique which achieves sub-Hertz resolution in nearly degenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) and optical two-beam coupling experiments was applied to determine the decay rates of excited states in the N-V center. Laser-enhanced EPR experiments were performed to assign spin character to the ground state. Fluorescent emission of the center was used to determine excited state energies. In particular, these results resolve earlier conflicting reports of the N-V ground state structure and offer a picture of state energies and dynamics consistent with all observations to date. The principal results of this thesis may be summarized as follows. We show that the ground state of the center consists of a spin triplet ground state with a zero-field splitting of 2.88 GHz and a spin-lattice relaxation time of 1.170 $\pm$ 0.003 ms. The first parity-allowed transition occurs to a triplet excited state at 1.944 eV with a lifetime of 13.3 $\pm$ 0.2 ns. The first metastable singlet excited state is shown to have a lifetime of 265.3 $\pm$ 0.6 ms at room temperature and its temperature dependence measured between 77 and 295 K. Through low temperature studies the mechanism for ground state spin-lattice relaxation is determined to be a two-phonon process involving 63 meV optical phonons. Finally, the origin of satellite lines in the persistent hole-burning spectrum is tentatively explained using our picture of the energy level structure and used to infer a zero-field spin splitting in the excited triplet state of 0.6 GHz.

•Jan 1, 1991•0 citations

Electronic Structure of the Silicon Vacancy Color Center in Diamond

Christian Hepp, Tina Müller, Victor Waselowski +8 more

The negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV) color center in diamond has recently proven its suitability for bright and stable single photon emission. However, its electronic structure so far has remained elusive. We here explore the electronic structure by exposing single SiV defects to a magnetic field where the Zeeman effect lifts the degeneracy of magnetic sublevels. The similar responses of single centers and a SiV ensemble in a low strain reference sample prove our ability to fabricate almost perfect single SiVs, revealing the true nature of the defect's electronic properties. We model the electronic states using a group-theoretical approach yielding a good agreement with the experimental observations. Furthermore, the model correctly predicts polarization measurements on single SiV centers and explains recently discovered spin selective excitation of SiV defects.

arXiv:1310.3106•Physical Review Letters•Jan 24, 2014•435 citations

A Germanium-Vacancy Single Photon Source in Diamond

Takayuki Iwasaki, Fumitaka Ishibashi, Yoshiyuki Miyamoto +13 more

Color centers in diamond are widely recognized as a promising solid state platform for quantum cryptography and quantum information processing. For these applications, single photon sources with a high intensity and reproducible fabrication methods are required. Here, we report a novel color center in diamond, composed of a germanium (Ge) and a vacancy (V) and named the GeV center, which has a sharp and strong photoluminescence band with a zero-phonon line at 602 nm at room temperature. We demonstrate this new color center works as a single photon source. Both ion implantation and chemical vapor deposition techniques enabled fabrication of GeV centers in diamond. A first-principles calculation revealed the atomic crystal structure and energy levels of the GeV center.

arXiv:1503.04938•Mar 17, 2015•3 citations
First-principles analyses are performed on the diamond europium vacancy (EuV) color center. Three different models indicate that the structure of the EuV color center contains a stable vacancy around the Eu atom. Energy band calculations show that the stable EuV color center has spin polarization and its spin-up energy level structure is highly suitable as a single-photon source. The zero-point transition energy is 1.989 eV (623 nm). The existence of metastable energy levels in the EuV is also predicted. Nitrogen atoms have a negative impact on the electronic structure of the EuV, in comparison to diamond color centers such as NE8 and TiV-N.
On the basis of the first-principles method, this paper discusses a new type of diamond PrV color center by using Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package software and optimizes the possible configurations of the PrV defect. Theoretically, a stable structure of the diamond PrV color center is one where Pr is located at the center of the double vacancy. The electronic structure of the diamond color center is calculated by using this stable structure, and its energy band and energy level structures are obtained. A zero-phonon line (ZPL) of 1.0185 eV and emission wavelength of 1217.5 nm are predicted for the PrV color center. Calculation of the effects of co-doping of the diamond PrV color center with N or B atoms reveals improvements in energy band and energy level structures and provides a theoretical basis for the experimental preparation of PrV color centers.
Abstract This study conducts a theoretical analysis on the stable structure, charge transfer, energy level transition, and electronic structure of a diamond yttrium vacancy color center. The color center in a diamond is very important as a single photon source material for quantum information processing technology and applications, such as temperature sensors, solid-state quantum systems, photonics, lighting, imaging technology, and biomedicine. Nanodiamond yttrium vacancy color centers are prepared using the solid substitution method with physical vapor deposition and microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition equipment. The density functional theory (DFT) is used to analyze the stability, electronic structure, and co-doping of N, Si, and O on the related defect structure of a rare Earth element yttrium-doped diamond using first-principle calculations, demonstrating consistency with the experimental results. The research shows that the fluorescence wavelength of an yttrium vacancy color center measured using the solid substitution method is 701.2 nm, which is located in the red region. The system is most stable when a Y atom replaces a carbon atom and there are two vacancies around it. The zero-phonon line of the diamond YV2 defect is predicted to be 708.855 nm. Additionally, the influence doping is analyzed with N, Si, and O atoms. An yttrium-doped diamond emits light in the visible light region, which provides a theoretical basis for the application of diamond yttrium vacancy color centers.
Atomic-sized fluorescent defects in diamond are widely recognized as a promising solid state platform for quantum cryptography and quantum information processing. For these applications, single photon sources with a high intensity and reproducible fabrication methods are required. In this study, we report a novel color center in diamond, composed of a germanium (Ge) and a vacancy (V) and named the GeV center, which has a sharp and strong photoluminescence band with a zero-phonon line at 602 nm at room temperature. We demonstrate this new color center works as a single photon source. Both ion implantation and chemical vapor deposition techniques enabled fabrication of GeV centers in diamond. A first-principles calculation revealed the atomic crystal structure and energy levels of the GeV center.
The nitrogen - vacancy (N-V) center is a point defect found in diamonds containing substitutional nitrogen impurities. It arises after exposure to ionizing radiation and subsequent thermal annealing. The physical structure of the center has previously been identified as a substitutional nitrogen atom located adjacent to a neutral carbon vacancy, but prior to this work knowledge of its electronic structure was very incomplete. The results presented here are intended to establish the energy level structure of the N-V center unambiguously, using nonlinear laser spectroscopy in concert with paramagnetic resonance experiments. A new technique which achieves sub-Hertz resolution in nearly degenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) and optical two-beam coupling experiments was applied to determine the decay rates of excited states in the N-V center. Laser-enhanced EPR experiments were performed to assign spin character to the ground state. Fluorescent emission of the center was used to determine excited state energies. In particular, these results resolve earlier conflicting reports of the N-V ground state structure and offer a picture of state energies and dynamics consistent with all observations to date. The principal results of this thesis may be summarized as follows. We show that the ground state of the center consists of a spin triplet ground state with a zero-field splitting of 2.88 GHz and a spin-lattice relaxation time of 1.170 ±\pm± 0.003 ms. The first parity-allowed transition occurs to a triplet excited state at 1.944 eV with a lifetime of 13.3 ±\pm± 0.2 ns. The first metastable singlet excited state is shown to have a lifetime of 265.3 ±\pm± 0.6 ms at room temperature and its temperature dependence measured between 77 and 295 K. Through low temperature studies the mechanism for ground state spin-lattice relaxation is determined to be a two-phonon process involving 63 meV optical phonons. Finally, the origin of satellite lines in the persistent hole-burning spectrum is tentatively explained using our picture of the energy level structure and used to infer a zero-field spin splitting in the excited triplet state of 0.6 GHz.
The negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV) color center in diamond has recently proven its suitability for bright and stable single photon emission. However, its electronic structure so far has remained elusive. We here explore the electronic structure by exposing single SiV defects to a magnetic field where the Zeeman effect lifts the degeneracy of magnetic sublevels. The similar responses of single centers and a SiV ensemble in a low strain reference sample prove our ability to fabricate almost perfect single SiVs, revealing the true nature of the defect's electronic properties. We model the electronic states using a group-theoretical approach yielding a good agreement with the experimental observations. Furthermore, the model correctly predicts polarization measurements on single SiV centers and explains recently discovered spin selective excitation of SiV defects.
Color centers in diamond are widely recognized as a promising solid state platform for quantum cryptography and quantum information processing. For these applications, single photon sources with a high intensity and reproducible fabrication methods are required. Here, we report a novel color center in diamond, composed of a germanium (Ge) and a vacancy (V) and named the GeV center, which has a sharp and strong photoluminescence band with a zero-phonon line at 602 nm at room temperature. We demonstrate this new color center works as a single photon source. Both ion implantation and chemical vapor deposition techniques enabled fabrication of GeV centers in diamond. A first-principles calculation revealed the atomic crystal structure and energy levels of the GeV center.