Diamond photonics platform enabled by femtosecond laser writing

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Diamond's nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers offer excellent spin coherence for quantum applications.
• Optical interconnects are crucial for scaling NV-based quantum processors.
• Efficient fabrication of photonic structures in diamond remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel method for fabricating 3D optical waveguides in diamond.
• To assess the preservation of NV center properties within these waveguides.
• To enable integrated quantum information systems and sensors on a diamond chip.

Main Methods:

• Inscribing 3D buried optical waveguides in diamond using focused femtosecond laser pulses at high repetition rates.
• Characterizing the optical properties and NV center performance within the fabricated waveguides.

Main Results:

• First demonstration of 3D buried optical waveguides fabricated in diamond.
• High-quality nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center properties were maintained within the waveguides.
• The waveguides facilitate optical coupling of NV centers.

Conclusions:

• Femtosecond laser inscription provides an efficient method for creating optical interconnects in diamond.
• The developed waveguides are suitable for integrated quantum sensing and information processing.
• This work paves the way for scalable diamond-based quantum technologies.