Abstract
We studied the parameters to optimize the production of negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy color centers (NV) in type-1b single crystal diamond using proton irradiation followed by thermal annealing under vacuum. Several samples were treated under different irradiation and annealing conditions and characterized by slow positron beam Doppler-broadening and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies. At high proton fluences another complex vacancy defect appears limiting the formation of NV. Concentrations as high as cm of NV have been estimated from PL measurements. Furthermore, we inferred the trapping coefficient of positrons by NV. This study brings insight into the production of a high concentration of NV in diamond, which is of utmost importance in ultrasensitive magnetometry and quantum hybrid systems applications.
- Received 27 April 2011
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.84.125209
©2011 American Physical Society