We're sorry but this page doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Please enable it to continue.
Feedback

Nanodiamonds carrying silicon-vacancy quantum emitters with almost lifetime-limited linewidths

00:00

Formal Metadata

Title
Nanodiamonds carrying silicon-vacancy quantum emitters with almost lifetime-limited linewidths
Title of Series
Number of Parts
51
Author
License
CC Attribution 3.0 Unported:
You are free to use, adapt and copy, distribute and transmit the work or content in adapted or unchanged form for any legal purpose as long as the work is attributed to the author in the manner specified by the author or licensor.
Identifiers
Publisher
Release Date
Language

Content Metadata

Subject Area
Genre
Abstract
Colour centres in nanodiamonds are an important resource for applications in quantum sensing, biological imaging, and quantum optics. Here we report unprecedented narrow optical transitions for individual colour centres in nanodiamonds smaller than 200 nm. This demonstration has been achieved using the negatively charged silicon vacancy centre, which has recently received considerable attention due to its superb optical properties in bulk diamond. We have measured an ensemble of silicon-vacancy centres across numerous nanodiamonds to have an inhomogeneous distribution of 1.05 nm at 5 K. Individual spectral lines as narrower than 360 MHz were measured in photoluminescence excitation, and correcting for apparent spectral diffusion yielded an homogeneous linewidth of about 200 MHz which is close to the lifetime limit. These results indicate the high crystalline quality achieved in these nanodiamond samples, and advance the applicability of nanodiamond-hosted colour centres for quantum optics applications.
QuantumElectric power distributionParticle physicsPlain bearingVideo
ColorfulnessDiamondMeeting/Interview
Space probeCrystallizationMarker penElectronOpticsAngeregter ZustandAtomismCrystallographic defectBulk modulusQuantumOrbitSpectral lineBand gapCocktail party effectColorfulnessAccess networkNyquist stability criterionSiliconDiamondSeasonModel buildingProzessleittechnikNanotechnologyYearEffects unitEngineering drawingDiagram
Quality (business)ProzessleittechnikVisible spectrumSiliconDiamondOpticsFrost (temperature)Meeting/Interview
TemperatureCrystallizationAtmospheric pressureAdapter patternMetalSource (album)Formation flyingProzessleittechnikDiamondClimateVideo
LaserSpin (physics)SpectrometerAngeregter ZustandAvalanche diodeAudio frequencyPhotographyTheodoliteSubstrate (printing)Spectral lineResonance (chemistry)ProzessleittechnikConfocal microscopySiliconDiamondVideoNorth American P-51 MustangForceComputer animation
WavelengthLastOpticsWorkshopAngeregter ZustandLunar nodeDrehmasseCartridge (firearms)SizingTheodoliteColor chargeResonance (chemistry)Basis (linear algebra)KickstandIntensity (physics)ScoutingThermostatEffects unitElectron microscopeVideoElectronPhononSingle (music)FlugbahnMultiplizitätSpectral linewidthMusical ensembleLaser scanningVisible spectrumNarrow gauge railwayScale (map)SiliconDiamondDiagram
Quantum opticsAngeregter ZustandVisible spectrumSiliconDiamondMeasurementMeeting/Interview
Transcript: English(auto-generated)
Diamonds come in many appealing colors which arise from an interesting physical system. Atomic impurities in the crystal have their own electrons in spatially confined orbitals, effectively behaving like artificial atoms. These orbitals lie within the large band gap of diamond and provide electrons which are optically active.
Such crystal defects are called color centers. Color centers provide optical access to individual solid state spins and have been established as good candidates for processing quantum information. There are also excellent probes and markers in the areas of biology and medicine.
In this latter context especially there is a high demand for stable fluorescent probes at the nanoscale. The Civic Invacancy Center has attracted research attention because of its excellent optical properties in bulk diamond. Unfortunately, silicon vacancy centers in previously reported nanodiamonds exhibited broadened spectral lines and fluorescence blinking.
Here we report the observation of silicon vacancy centers in nanodiamonds with better spectral properties and give insight into the processes that lead to optical instability. These results were achieved using nanodiamonds produced through a novel technique
and the superior optical properties indicate the high crystalline quality achieved by this process. This technique is an adaption of the high pressure high temperature method commonly used to create industrial diamonds. The temperature and pressure simulate conditions of natural diamond formation and the crystals are produced from metal melts containing carbon sources.
Omitting the metal catalyst from this process and using fluorinated graphite led to the formation of much smaller diamonds in the range from nanometers to micrometers. Nanodiamonds from this process were spin coated on a substrate for the spectroscopic studies reported here.
A cryogenic confocal microscope was used to study the silicon vacancy centers in these nanodiamonds at low temperatures. The spectral lines originating from optical transitions were measured with a spectrometer of resonant excitation with a green laser or with a photo avalanche diode while scanning a laser over the transition frequencies for resonant excitation.
Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the size of the nanodiamonds. By this it was possible to determine optical properties for nanodiamonds known to be smaller than 200 nanometers. The spectrum of the silicon vacancy center is dominated by a sharp zero phonon line
and the ensemble line width was observed to be as narrow as 1.05 nanometer while exciting off resonantly. In resonant excitation single optical transitions from individual silicon vacancy centers could be addressed and the narrowest line widths were measured to be 350 MHz.
This was an average over multiple laser scans and the line position was found to be diffusing over a small spectral range in the time scale of seconds. Examining each scan individually suggested underlying line widths as narrow as 200 MHz which is close to the lifetime limit.
With higher intensity resonant excitation the silicon vacancy center also showed blinking where the fluorescence switched on and off in a binary manner. These two different instability behaviors could both arise from electronic charge effects at the nanodiamond surface. The observation of exciting spectral properties for silicon vacancy centers and nanodiamonds
makes them uniquely attractive for use in quantum optics applications and biomedical environments.