Enhanced activation yield of nitrogen-vacancy and silicon-vacancy diamond color centers by proton and carbon irradiation

Year: 2025

Authors: Lagomarsino S., Markesevic N., Rashid Z., Flatae AM., Mdgdefessel S., Hernandez-Gumez S., Bianchini G., Sledz F., Gelli N., Giuntini L., Massi M., Sciortino S., Corsi C., Cimalla V., Knittel P., Kunzer M., Bellini M., Fabbri N., Agio M.

Autors Affiliation: Natl Res Council CNR, Natl Inst Opt INO, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Sez Firenze, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; European Lab Nonlinear Spect LENS, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Univ Napoli Federico II, Dipartimento Fis Ettore Pancini, Via Cintia 21, I-80126 Naples, Italy; Univ Siegen, Lab Nanoopt, D-57072 Siegen, Germany; Fraunhofer Inst Appl Solid State Phys IAF, Tullastr 72, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany; Univ Florence, Dept Phys & Astrophys, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.

Abstract: We investigate the activation yield and optical properties of the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV (-)) and silicon-vacancy (SiV (-)) centers in single-crystal diamonds, focusing on the effect of proton (p) and carbon-ion (C) irradiation on their formation. The samples, either nitrogen-rich or silicon-implanted, are grown by chemical vapor deposition or high pressure-high temperature synthesis. They are irradiated over three orders of magnitude in fluence, up to similar to 10(14)C/cm(2) or similar to 10(16) p/cm(2), generating up to similar to 10(4) ppm of extra vacancies at the end-of-range. Following thermal annealing at 1150 degrees C for 1 h, we characterize the samples using time-resolved spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, and optically detected magnetic resonance. The optical properties of the NV (-) and SiV- centers remain stable even at vacancy concentrations of similar to 10(3)-10(4) ppm. At the same time, the activation yield of substitutional nitrogen and (primarily) interstitial silicon increases significantly with vacancy density, from below 2 % to approximately 15-20 % for both centers. A statistical model of defect dynamics during annealing accounts for these results, showing that the activation yield follows a logarithmic dependence on local vacancy concentration-extending over three decades for NV (-) and two for SiV (-).

Journal/Review: DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS

Volume: 158      Pages from: 112632-1  to: 112632-11

More Information: This work received funding from the European Defence Fund (EDF) under grant agreement 101103417-project ADEQUADE. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author (s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The authors also gratefully acknowledge financial support from the European Union’s Next Generation EU Programme through the IR0000016 I-PHOQS Infrastructure, PE0000023 NQSTI, and PRIN 2022 QUASAR. The work was also supported by the European Union’s Research and Innovation Programme Horizon Europe G.A. no. 101070546-MUQUABIS, and by ASI through the Project Laboratori congiunti ASI-CNR nel settore delle Quantum Technologies-Q-ASINO (Accordo Attuativo n.2023-47-HH.0) . The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) under the project COLOMBA (COLOr centers by a Multiple Beam Approach) within the framework of the Commissione Scientifica Nazionale 5 (CSN5) , the University of Siegen and the German Research Association (DFG) (INST 221/118-1 FUGG, 410405168) are also acknowledged. The authors would like to thank INFN-CHNet, the network of laboratories of the INFN for cultural heritage, for support and precious contributions in terms of instrumentation and personnel.
KeyWords: Nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV-); Silicon-vacancy centers (SiV-); Diamond color centers; Ion implantation; Vacancy engineering; Defect activation
DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2025.112632