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Updated: May 27, 2026

All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics
Published on: January 19, 2018
Dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in the NV(-) center in diamond.
Tesfaye A Abtew1, Y Y Sun, Bi-Ching Shih
1Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA.
The negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV(-)) center in diamond exhibits a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in its excited state. This finding is crucial for advancing quantum information applications using NV(-) centers.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Information Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- The negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV(-)) center in diamond is a leading candidate for quantum information processing.
- Understanding the excited state dynamics of the NV(-) center is critical for its application in quantum technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the excited state properties of the NV(-) center.
- To elucidate the role of vibronic interactions in the (3)E excited state.
- To confirm the presence of a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect.
Main Methods:
- Employed first-principles calculations to model the NV(-) center.
- Utilized vibronic interaction model analysis to study excited state behavior.
- Calculated temperature-dependent dephasing rates and vibronic state splitting.
Main Results:
- Established the presence of a dynamic Jahn-Teller effect in the (3)E excited state of the NV(-) center.
- Calculated temperature-dependent dephasing rates align well with experimental data.
- Observed splitting of the first two vibronic states is consistent with experimental findings.
Conclusions:
- The dynamic Jahn-Teller effect significantly influences the excited state properties of the NV(-) center.
- These findings provide a deeper understanding of NV(-) center behavior for quantum applications.
- The study validates theoretical models against experimental observations for NV(-) centers.
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