Temperature dependent creation of nitrogen-vacancy centers in single crystal CVD diamond layers

• Published in: Diamond and related materials Vol. 51; pp. 55 - 60
• Main Authors: Tallaire, A., Lesik, M., Jacques, V., Pezzagna, S., Mille, V., Brinza, O., Meijer, J., Abel, B., Roch, J.F., Gicquel, A., Achard, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2015; Elsevier
• Subjects: Chemical and Process Engineering; Chemical vapor deposition; Crystal defects; Crystal growth; Density; Diamonds; Doping; Engineering Sciences; Magnetic fields; Magnetic properties; Materials; Nitrogen doping; NV centers; Physics; Plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition; Quantum Physics; Single crystal diamond; Thin films; Crystal growth; Plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition; Nitrogen doping; NV centers; Single crystal diamond
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2014.11.010

In this work, we explore the ability of plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition (PACVD) operating under high power densities to produce thin high-quality diamond layers with a controlled doping with negatively-charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV−) centers. This luminescent defect possesses specific physical characteristics that make it suitable as an addressable solid-state electron spin for measuring magnetic fields with unprecedented sensitivity. To this aim, a relatively large number of NV− centers (>1012cm−3) should ideally be located in a thin diamond layer (a few tens of nm) close to the surface which is particularly challenging to achieve with the PACVD technique. Here we show that intentional temperature variations can be exploited to tune NV− creation efficiency during growth, allowing engineering complex stacking structures with a variable doping. Because such a temperature variation can be performed quickly and without any change of the gas phase composition, thin layers can be grown. Measurements show that despite the temperature variations, the luminescent centers incorporated using this technique exhibit spin coherence properties similar to those reached in ultra-pure bulk crystals, which suggests that they could be successfully employed in magnetometry applications. [Display omitted] •High-power PACVD is used to create diamond layers having a relatively high NV density.•NV incorporation is inversely proportional to the diamond growth temperature.•Growth temperature can be quickly varied allowing engineering stacked layers.•Because there is no gas phase change, sharp layers as thin as 500nm can be obtained.•Incorporated NV luminescent centers exhibit a spin coherence time of 232μs.