Photophysics of single silicon vacancy centers in diamond: implications for single photon emission.

Single silicon vacancy (SiV) color centers in diamond have recently shown the ability for high brightness, narrow bandwidth, room temperature single photon emission. This work develops a model describing the three level population dynamics of single SiV centers in diamond nanocrystals on iridium surfaces including an intensity dependent de-shelving process. Furthermore, we investigate the brightness and photostability of single centers and find maximum single photon rates of 6.2 Mcps under continuous excitation. We investigate the collection efficiency of the fluorescence and estimate quantum efficiencies of the SiV centers.

[1]  V. Sandoghdar,et al.  Metallodielectric hybrid antennas for ultrastrong enhancement of spontaneous emission. , 2012, Physical review letters.

[2]  A. Boretti,et al.  Radiative and nonradiative decay rates in chromium-related centers in nanodiamonds. , 2011, Optics letters.

[3]  A. V. Medvedev,et al.  Luminescent isolated diamond particles with controllably embedded silicon-vacancy colour centres , 2012 .

[4]  J. Glass,et al.  The origin of the broadband luminescence and the effect of nitrogen doping on the optical properties of diamond films , 1994 .

[5]  S. Gsell,et al.  Fluorescence and polarization spectroscopy of single silicon vacancy centers in heteroepitaxial nanodiamonds on iridium , 2011, 1108.3743.

[6]  Martin Fischer,et al.  Single photon emission from silicon-vacancy colour centres in chemical vapour deposition nano-diamonds on iridium , 2010, 1008.4736.

[7]  M. Bonn,et al.  Single substitutional nitrogen defects revealed as electron acceptor states in diamond using ultrafast spectroscopy , 2011 .

[8]  D. Twitchen,et al.  Optical properties of the neutral silicon split-vacancy center in diamond , 2011 .

[9]  R. A. Smith,et al.  Single Photon Sources , 2008 .

[10]  S. Gsell,et al.  Electronic transitions of single silicon vacancy centers in the near-infrared spectral region , 2012, 1204.4994.

[11]  H. Weinfurter,et al.  A solid state single photon source based on SiV centers in diamond , 2007, 2007 European Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the International Quantum Electronics Conference.

[12]  G. Adriaenssens,et al.  Luminescence excitation spectra in diamond , 2000 .

[13]  P. Grangier,et al.  Narrow-band single-photon emission in the near infrared for quantum key distribution. , 2005, Optics express.

[14]  G. A. Russell,et al.  Criterion for the Occurrence of Luminescence , 1955 .

[15]  I. Osad’ko.  REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Determination of electron-phonon coupling from structured optical spectra of impurity centers , 1979 .

[16]  L. Rogers.  How far into the infrared can a colour centre in diamond emit , 2010 .

[17]  E. Palik.  Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids , 1997 .

[18]  R. Brouri,et al.  Photon antibunching in the fluorescence of individual color centers in diamond. , 2000, Optics letters.

[19]  H. Schniepp,et al.  Spontaneous emission in nanoscopic dielectric particles. , 2003, Optics letters.

[20]  Kurt Aulenbacher,et al.  Fluorescence and spin properties of defects in single digit nanodiamonds. , 2009, ACS nano.

[21]  John Rarity,et al.  INTENSITY FLUCTUATION SPECTROSCOPY OF SMALL NUMBERS OF DYE MOLECULES IN A MICROCAVITY , 1998 .

[22]  R. Chapman,et al.  Quantitative luminescence microscopy on Nitrogen-Vacancy Centres in diamond: Saturation effects under pulsed excitation , 2011 .

[23]  A. Greentree,et al.  Photophysics of chromium-related diamond single-photon emitters , 2009, 0909.1873.

[24]  Igor Aharonovich,et al.  Diamond-based single-photon emitters , 2011 .

[25]  M. Orrit,et al.  Single-photon sources , 2005 .

[26]  G. Zumofen,et al.  Nonclassical photon statistics in single-molecule fluorescence at room temperature , 2000 .

[27]  Taras Plakhotnik,et al.  The effects of surface oxidation on luminescence of nano diamonds , 2010 .

[28]  L. Lombez,et al.  Low-temperature optical characterization of a near-infrared single-photon emitter in nanodiamonds , 2009, 0909.2962.

[29]  Picosecond photoluminescence decay of Si-doped chemical-vapor-deposited diamond films. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[30]  C. Becher,et al.  Narrowband fluorescent nanodiamonds produced from chemical vapor deposition films , 2011, 1104.4076.

[31]  J. Twamley,et al.  Observation and control of blinking nitrogen-vacancy centres in discrete nanodiamonds. , 2010, Nature nanotechnology.

[32]  Yan-Kai Tzeng,et al.  Two-photon excited fluorescence of nitrogen-vacancy centers in proton-irradiated type Ib diamond. , 2007, The journal of physical chemistry. A.

[33]  N. D. Lai,et al.  Diamond particles as nanoantennas for nitrogen-vacancy color centers , 2011, 1107.0502.

[34]  Wild,et al.  Nonclassical photon statistics in single-molecule fluorescence at room temperature , 2000, Physical review letters.

[35]  J. Butler,et al.  Relationship between grain boundaries and broad luminescence peaks in CVD diamond films , 2003 .

[36]  H. Weinfurter,et al.  Single photon emission from SiV centres in diamond produced by ion implantation , 2006 .

[37]  D. Axelrod,et al.  Fluorescence emission at dielectric and metal-film interfaces , 1987 .

[38]  R. Silbey,et al.  Molecular Fluorescence and Energy Transfer Near Interfaces , 2007 .