Next Generation Diamond Materials for High-Resolution Quantum Sensors

C53-19a-271402Quantum sensor applications such as imaging of current flow in microelectronics, study of micro- and nano-fluidics, and surface chemistry imaging utilize or are envisioned to utilize arrays of nitrogen-vacancy (NV)-centers in diamond located near the diamond surface. While random arrangements of NV centers can work in these applications, having more precise placement of NV centers in arrays and at more uniform depths from the surface help improve the sensitivity and resolution of these applications. Our approach is to employ state-of-the-art diamond crystal growth technology to create high quality diamond with nitrogen (N) placed in a plane located precisely near the surface and co-dopants also introduced for Fermi level control to maximize NV-population, followed by multiphoton femtosecond laser writing to create NV centers which are precisely placed in two-dimensional arrays in that same plane. This approach can be applied in principle to any crystallographic orientation of diamond. We demonstrated creation of NV centers in (100) diamond using N- doping during growth followed by ion implantation of oxygen as a co-dopant and annealing - with characterization based on optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and confocal photoluminescence. We will extend the Phase I work by employing N delta-doping for more precise placement of the N-dopants, as well as B and P delta doping to enable Fermi level engineering. We will also employ multiphoton femtosecond laser writing to create a regular array of vacancies which will react with nearby N-dopants to create a high fidelity 2D array of NV centers near the diamond surface. We’ll test these materials for their use in quantum sensing applications with a focus on imaging applications targeting measurement of electrical current flow in microelectronics/2-D materials and micro- and nano-nanofluidics sensing. We’ll optimize the processes to create a viable manufacturing process for these 2D NV arrays. High quality arrays of NV centers placed near the surface of high-quality diamond are useful for a number of high-performance quantum sensor applications including