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Effect of the Nanodiamond Host on a Nitrogen‐Vacancy Color‐Centre Emission State
Author(s) -
Bradac Carlo,
Gaebel Torsten,
Pakes Chris. I.,
Say Jana M.,
Zvyagin Andrei V.,
Rabeau James R.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201200574
Subject(s) - vacancy defect , nanodiamond , nitrogen vacancy center , materials science , nanotechnology , quantum tunnelling , substrate (aquarium) , fluorescence , luminescence , etching (microfabrication) , optoelectronics , chemical physics , chemistry , crystallography , physics , diamond , optics , oceanography , layer (electronics) , composite material , geology
Control over the quantum states of individual luminescent nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centres in nanodiamonds (NDs) is demonstrated by careful design of the crystal host: its size, surface functional groups, and interfacing substrate. By progressive etching of the ND host, the NV centres are induced to switch from latent, through continuous, to intermittent or “blinking” emission states. The blinking mechanism of the NV centre in NDs is elucidated and a qualitative model proposed to explain this phenomenon in terms of the centre electron(s) tunnelling to acceptor site(s). These measurements suggest that the substrate material and its proximity to the NV are responsible for the fluorescence intermittency.