by J. L. Sánchez Toural, J. García-Pérez, R. Bernardo-Gavito, D. Granados, A. Andrino-Gómez, G. García, J. L. Pau, M. A. Ramos and N. Gordillo
Abstract:
The interplay between ion beam modification techniques in the MeV range and the controlled generation of negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV−) centers in nitrogen-doped synthetic diamond crystals is explored. An experimental approach employing both light (H+) and heavy (Br+6) ions was followed to assess their respective impacts on the creation of NV− centers, using different ion energies or fluences to generate varying amounts of vacancies. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was applied to characterize NV− and neutral NV0 centers. Initially, no NV centers were detected post-irradiation, despite the presence of substitutional nitrogen and vacancies. However, after annealing at 800 °C (and in some cases at 900 °C), most samples exhibited a high density of NV0 and especially NV− centers. This demonstrates that thermal treatment is essential for vacancy‑nitrogen recombination and NV− formation, often through electron capture from nearby nitrogen atoms. Notably, we achieved high NV− densities without graphitization, which is essential for preserving the material’s properties for quantum applications. This study underscores and quantifies the effectiveness of MeV-range ions in controlling vacancy distributions and highlights their potential for optimizing NV− center formation to enhance the sensitivity of diamond-based quantum magnetic sensors.
Reference:
J. L. Sánchez Toural, J. García-Pérez, R. Bernardo-Gavito, D. Granados, A. Andrino-Gómez, G. García, J. L. Pau, M. A. Ramos and N. Gordillo, “Diamond-defect engineering of NV− centers using ion beam irradiation”, Diamond and Related Materials, pp. 111838.
Bibtex Entry:
@article{toural_diamond-defect_2024,
title = {Diamond-defect engineering of {NV}− centers using ion beam irradiation},
issn = {0925-9635},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925963524010513},
doi = {10.1016/j.diamond.2024.111838},
abstract = {The interplay between ion beam modification techniques in the MeV range and the controlled generation of negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV−) centers in nitrogen-doped synthetic diamond crystals is explored. An experimental approach employing both light (H+) and heavy (Br+6) ions was followed to assess their respective impacts on the creation of NV− centers, using different ion energies or fluences to generate varying amounts of vacancies. Photoluminescence spectroscopy was applied to characterize NV− and neutral NV0 centers. Initially, no NV centers were detected post-irradiation, despite the presence of substitutional nitrogen and vacancies. However, after annealing at 800 °C (and in some cases at 900 °C), most samples exhibited a high density of NV0 and especially NV− centers. This demonstrates that thermal treatment is essential for vacancy‑nitrogen recombination and NV− formation, often through electron capture from nearby nitrogen atoms. Notably, we achieved high NV− densities without graphitization, which is essential for preserving the material's properties for quantum applications. This study underscores and quantifies the effectiveness of MeV-range ions in controlling vacancy distributions and highlights their potential for optimizing NV− center formation to enhance the sensitivity of diamond-based quantum magnetic sensors.},
urldate = {2024-12-03},
journal = {Diamond and Related Materials},
author = {Toural, J. L. Sánchez and García-Pérez, J. and Bernardo-Gavito, R. and Granados, D. and Andrino-Gómez, A. and García, G. and Pau, J. L. and Ramos, M. A. and Gordillo, N.},
month = dec,
year = {2024},
keywords = {Diamond, Ion-beam irradiation, Nitrogen vacancy, NV colour centers, Quantum sensing},
pages = {111838},
file = {ScienceDirect Snapshot:E:\Usuarios\Administrator\Zotero\storage\VAAEE732\S0925963524010513.html:text/html},
}