Nano Lett., 7 (11), 3433 -3437, 2007. 10.1021/nl0719271 S1530-6984(07)01927-3
Web Release Date: September 29, 2007

Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society

Single Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond Nanocrystals

J. R. Rabeau*

Department of Physics, Division of Information and Communication Science, Macquarie University, New South Wales 2109, Australia

A. Stacey, A. Rabeau, and S. Prawer

School of Physics, Microanalytical Research Centre, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia

F. Jelezko, I. Mirza, and J. Wrachtrup

3. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

Received August 5, 2007

Revised September 10, 2007

Abstract:

Nanodiamond crystals containing single color centers have been grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The fluorescence from individual crystallites was directly correlated with crystallite size using a combined atomic force and scanning confocal fluorescence microscope. Under the conditions employed, the optimal size for single optically active nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center incorporation was measured to be 60-70 nm. The findings highlight a strong dependence of NV incorporation on crystal size, particularly with crystals less than 50 nm in size.


Download the full text: PDF | HTML