Selective measurement of charge dynamics in an ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy centers in nanodiamond and bulk diamond
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2019-04-26 |
| Journal | Physical review. B./Physical review. B |
| Authors | Rakshyakar Giri, C. Dorigoni, Stefano Tambalo, Federico Gorrini, Angelo Bifone |
| Institutions | Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, University of Turin |
| Citations | 32 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāNitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have attracted considerable interest\nin sensing of weak magnetic fields, such as those created by biological\nsystems. Detecting such feeble signals requires near-surface NV centers, to\nreduce the distance between NVs and sources. Moreover, dense ensembles of NVs\nare highly desirable to reduce measurement time. However, robust charge state\nswitching is often observed in these systems, resulting in a complex interplay\nbetween charge and spin dynamics that can reduce the attainable level of spin\npolarization, and consequently, sensitivity. Understanding the mechanisms\nbehind charge state switching is, therefore, crucial to developing NV based\nsensors. Here, we demonstrate a novel method to selectively measure charge\ndynamics in an ensemble of NVs by quenching the spin polarization using an\noff-axis magnetic field. Utilizing this technique, we show that, in\nnanodiamonds, charge state instability increases with increasing NV density. In\nthe case of bulk single crystal diamond, we show that NV centers located near\nthe surface are more stable in the neutral (NV$^{0}$) charge state, while the\nnegatively charged (NV$^{-}$) form is more stable in bulk.\n