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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

High Resolution Phonon-assisted Quasi-resonance Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Published on: June 28, 2016
Single photon emission from diamond nanocrystals in an opal photonic crystal
L A Stewart1, Y Zhai, J M Dawes
1MQ Photonics Research Centre and Department of Physics and Engineering, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia. lstew@science.mq.edu.au
Abstract:
We present the first optical measurement of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in a three-dimensional photonic crystal. The photonic crystal, fabricated by self-assembly of polystyrene microspheres, exhibits a photonic stopband that overlaps the NV photoluminescence spectrum. A modified emission spectrum and photon antibunching were measured from the NV centers. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements revealed a 30% increase in the source lifetime. Encapsulation of single NV centers in a three-dimensional photonic crystal is a step towards controlling emission properties of a single photon source.
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