Neutral Silicon Vacancy Centers in Undoped Diamond via Surface Control

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Materials Science
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Neutral silicon vacancy centers (SiV^{0}) in diamond are promising for quantum applications.
• Stabilizing SiV^{0} typically requires high-purity, boron-doped diamond, which is scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate an alternative method for stabilizing SiV^{0} centers.
• To achieve reversible and stable charge state tuning in undoped diamond via surface control.

Main Methods:

• Low-damage chemical processing of diamond surfaces.
• Annealing in a hydrogen environment.
• Optical and magnetic resonance measurements of SiV^{0} centers.

Main Results:

• Successfully realized reversible and stable charge state tuning in undoped diamond.
• SiV^{0} centers exhibited bulklike optical properties and optically detected magnetic resonance.
• Demonstrated control over charge state via surface termination.

Conclusions:

• Surface chemical control offers a viable alternative to boron doping for SiV^{0} stabilization.
• This approach enables scalable quantum technologies and charge state engineering for diamond defects.