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arXiv · 1108.6078

Depletion of nitrogen-vacancy color centers in diamond via hydrogen passivation

A. Stacey·T. J. Karle·L. P. McGuinness·B. C. Gibson·K. Ganesan·S. Tomljenovic-Hanic·A. D. Greentree·S. Prawer·R. G. Beausoleil·A. Hoffman
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Abstract

We show a marked reduction in the emission from nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in single crystal diamond due to exposure of the diamond to hydrogen plasmas ranging from 700{\deg}C to 1000{\deg}C. Significant fluorescence reduction was observed beneath the exposed surface to at least 80mm depth after ~10 minutes, and did not recover after post-annealing in vacuum for seven hours at 1100{\deg}C. We attribute the fluorescence reduction to the formation of NVH centers by the plasma induced diffusion of hydrogen. These results have important implications for the formation of nitrogen-vacancy centers for quantum applications, and inform our understanding of the conversion of nitrogen-vacancy to NVH, whilst also providing the first experimental evidence of long range hydrogen diffusion through intrinsic high-purity diamond material.

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A. Stacey, T. J. Karle, L. P. McGuinness, B. C. Gibson, K. Ganesan, S. Tomljenovic-Hanic, A. D. Greentree, S. Prawer, R. G. Beausoleil, A. Hoffman. 2011-08-30. Depletion of nitrogen-vacancy color centers in diamond via hydrogen passivation. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3684612

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