Direct Structural Identification and Quantification of the Split-Vacancy Configuration for Implanted Sn in Diamond.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Quantum Optics
• Solid State Physics

Background:

• The tin-vacancy (SnV) center in diamond is a promising defect for quantum applications.
• Understanding its formation mechanism and atomic structure is crucial for optimizing its properties.
• Previous studies have suggested potential configurations, but direct identification was lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the formation of the ideal split-vacancy configuration of the Sn-vacancy center in diamond.
• To quantify the efficiency of this formation mechanism upon implantation.
• To investigate the structural evolution upon thermal annealing and its optical properties.

Main Methods:

• Low fluence 121Sn implantation into natural diamond at the ISOLDE facility at CERN.
• Utilized beta- emission channeling to directly identify and quantify atomic configurations of Sn-related centers.
• Photoluminescence spectroscopy to characterize optical properties and linewidth.

Main Results:

• The ideal split-vacancy configuration of the Sn-vacancy center forms with high efficiency (≈40%) immediately upon implantation.
• Thermal annealing at 920°C resulted in ≈30% of Sn occupying the ideal bond-center position.
• Photoluminescence showed the characteristic SnV- line at 621 nm with an exceptionally narrow ensemble linewidth (2.3 nm).

Conclusions:

• The Sn-vacancy center exhibits a remarkably simple and efficient structural formation mechanism.
• Its exceptional optical properties, including narrow linewidth, further establish its potential for single photon emission.
• These findings pave the way for advanced quantum technologies utilizing diamond-based defects.