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Frontiers in Nanotechnology

Tailored light emission from color centers in nanodiamond using self-assembled photonic crystals

Sachin Kumar Sharma, Ashish, Rajesh V. Nair

Published Oct 6, 2022• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The defect centers in solid-state materials especially the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have shown a tremendous potential for their utilization in quantum technology applications. However, they exhibit certain drawbacks such as the feeble zero phonon line with huge phonon contribution and the higher lifetime values. Here, we present a novel approach to control the spontaneous emission from NV centers in nanodiamond using engineered self-assembled photonic crystals. Using two complimentary emission measuring geometries at room temperature, we show a 63% suppression and 17% enhancement of NV center emission intensity using photonic stopgap, supported with simulations. The emission rates are modified in a broad spectral range of NV center emission and are consistent with the Barnett–Loudon sum rule. The results are crucial for emerging quantum technologies using NV centers in diamond.

DOI
10.3389/fnano.2022.951988

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The defect centers in solid-state materials especially the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have shown a tremendous potential for their utilization in quantum technology applications. However, they exhibit certain drawbacks such as the feeble zero phonon line with huge phonon contribution and the higher lifetime values. Here, we present a novel approach to control the spontaneous emission from NV centers in nanodiamond using engineered self-assembled photonic crystals. Using two complimentary emission measuring geometries at room temperature, we show a 63% suppression and 17% enhancement of NV center emission intensity using photonic stopgap, supported with simulations. The emission rates are modified in a broad spectral range of NV center emission and are consistent with the Barnett–Loudon sum rule. The results are crucial for emerging quantum technologies using NV centers in diamond.
Recently, the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center has emerged as a deterministic single-photon source at room temperature. However, the presence of phonon sideband emission limits the use of NV centers in various quantum optical applications. Here we report a novel way to suppress the phonon sideband emission of NV centers aided with the enhancement of zero phonon line intensity using photonic crystals at room temperature. We study the photonic stop gap mediated charge state conversion in NV centers. The enhancement of phonon sideband emission from the same structures by implementing a different measurement geometry is also discussed. The studies open new avenues in studying the NV center-based quantum nanophotonics and biophotonics.
Abstract The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center is one of the most prominent candidates for quantum technologies, and its efficient utilization requires control over its spontaneous emission rate. Here, we report the wavelength-selective enhancement and suppression of NV center emission lifetime at room temperature by modifying the local density of optical states (LDOS) around them. The results are explained using the Barnett–Loudon sum rule and also supported by the LDOS calculations. Two complementary measurement geometries are employed to study the direction-dependent emission behavior from the nanodiamonds decorated on the top of photonic crystals. The lifetime distributions are compared with a proper reference sample using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to verify the distinct nature of lifetime distributions. The wavelength-selective enhancement or suppression of emission rates would be useful for NV center-based high-resolution imaging and effective readout of its charge states.
Single-photon sources are essential for quantum technologies, supporting secure communication, quantum computing, and integrated photonic systems. Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds are robust emitters that operate at room temperature and can be positioned on-chip, but efficient coupling to photonic modes remains challenging. We present the design, fabrication, and experimental characterization of a silicon nitride photonic structure engineered to enhance and extract emission from NV centers. The device features a subwavelength gap between waveguides, a Bragg reflector for emission redirection, and an output waveguide for collection. Simulations guided the optimization of the geometry to increase the spontaneous emission rate through photonic confinement. Nanodiamonds were deposited into the gap using lithographic patterning and drop-casting. Fluorescence lifetime measurements confirm that the structure modifies the emission dynamics of the NV centers. The approach is compatible with scalable fabrication techniques and offers a practical route toward integrated, chip-based single-photon sources.
The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in nanodiamonds has emerged as an excellent platform in quantum technologies due to its applications in spin manipulation and nanoscale sensing. However, their use is limited by the unavoidable charge-state conversion under optical pumping. In this study, we investigate the control of charge-state conversion in NV centers using an engineered photonic environment and thus change the available local density of optical states (LDOS). The spectral- and pump-dependent decay rate measurements are performed to study the redistribution of emission rates due to the change in LDOS and their effect on charge-state conversion. We have achieved an 8% enhancement of emission rate at the zero phonon line which is accompanied with a 10% suppression in the phonon sideband emission rate in the low-pump-power regime. In the high-pump-power regime, the charge-state conversion becomes inevitable and leads to the deterioration of LDOS-induced modification in the NV center emission lifetimes. The results are useful for efficient NV center spin readout and charge-state depletion microscopy utilizing reversible charge-state conversion.
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.