Enhancement of the creation yield of NV ensembles in a chemically vapour deposited diamond

• Published in: Carbon (New York) Vol. 194; pp. 282 - 289
• Main Authors: Balasubramanian, Priyadharshini, Osterkamp, Christian, Brinza, Ovidiu, Rollo, Maxime, Robert-Philip, Isabelle, Goldner, Philippe, Jacques, Vincent, Jelezko, Fedor, Achard, Jocelyn, Tallaire, Alexandre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2022; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: Chemical vapor deposition; Colour centres in diamond; Condensed Matter; Crystal growth; Crystal structure; crystals; CVD growth; Diamonds; Electron spin; Electrons; Figure of merit; Lattice vacancies; materials; Nitrogen; Nitrous oxide; NV yield; Physics; Quantum sensors; Quantum technologies; Single crystal diamond; Single crystals; Substrates; technology; temperature; vapors; NV yield; CVD growth; Colour centres in diamond; Single crystal diamond; Quantum technologies
• ISSN: 0008-6223; 1873-3891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2022.04.005

In this work we investigate the properties of negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV−) centres created during single crystal diamond growth by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on [113]-oriented substrates and with N2O as a dopant gas. The use of spin echo and double electron-electron resonance (DEER) allows us to assess NV− ratio with respect to substitutional nitrogen impurities (Ns0) incorporated during growth, a critical figure of merit for quantum technologies. We demonstrate that, at moderate growth temperatures (800 °C), dense NV− ensembles of several hundreds of ppb (800 ppb for 50 ppm of added N2O) and with exceptionally high NV−/ Ns0 ratios of up to 25% can be achieved. This NV− creation yield is higher by at least an order of magnitude to that typically obtained on standard [100]-grown diamonds and comparable to the best values reported for electron-irradiated diamonds. The material obtained here thus advantageously combines a high NV− density, high creation yield, long coherence times of several tens of μs together with a partial preferential orientation. These are highly desirable requirements for diamond-based quantum sensors that may spur new developments with this crystalline orientation leading to improved performance and sensitivity. [Display omitted] •Dense NV ensembles up to 800 ppb obtained on [113]-oriented diamond with N2O as a dopant.•Low temperature growth promotes nitrogen incorporation in the NV form.•NV−/ Ns0 creation yield measured by double electron-electron resonance.•Highest NV−/ Ns0 yield ever obtained in as-grown diamond of 25%.