Far‐UV‐Excited Luminescence of Nitrogen‐Vacancy Centers - Evidence for Diamonds in Space
At a Glance
Section titled “At a Glance”| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2017-09-08 |
| Journal | Angewandte Chemie |
| Authors | Hsiao‐Chi Lu, Yu‐Chain Peng, Sheng‐Lung Chou, Jen‐Iu Lo, Bing‐Ming Cheng |
| Institutions | National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Education University of Hong Kong |
| Citations | 12 |
Abstract
Section titled “Abstract”Abstract The nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are among the most thoroughly investigated defects in solid‐state matter; however, our understanding of their properties upon far‐UV excitation of the host matrix is limited. This knowledge is crucial for the identification of NV as the carrier of extended red emission (ERE) bands detected in a wide range of astrophysical environments. Herein, we report a study on the photoluminescence spectra of NV‐containing nanodiamonds excited with synchrotron radiation over the wavelength range of 125-350 nm. We observed, for the first time, an emission at 520-850 nm with a quantum yield greater than 20 %. Our results share multiple similarities with the ERE phenomena, suggesting that nanodiamonds are a common component of dust in space.