Orientation of the NV centers are determined using the cylindrical vector beam array.

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Sensing
• Materials Science
• Optics

Background:

• Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are vital for quantum sensing applications.
• Determining the orientation of multiple NV centers, especially in low-concentration diamonds, presents significant challenges due to their small size.
• Existing methods lack the efficiency and speed required for complex NV center analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and rapid method for determining the orientation of multiple nitrogen-vacancy centers in low-concentration diamond.
• To overcome the limitations posed by the small size and low concentration of NV centers.
• To enhance the capabilities of quantum information sensing technologies.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing an azimuthally polarized beam array as the incident light source.
• Employing an optical pen to precisely modulate the position of the beam array.
• Exciting distinctive fluorescence signals to characterize NV center orientations.

Main Results:

• Successfully determined the orientation of multiple NV centers in a low-concentration diamond layer.
• The method proved effective even for closely spaced NV centers, limited only by the diffraction limit.
• Achieved efficient and rapid orientation determination, crucial for practical applications.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a significant advancement in analyzing NV centers for quantum sensing.
• This technique has strong potential for practical applications in quantum information sensing and materials characterization.
• The approach provides a robust solution for a previously challenging problem in diamond-based quantum technologies.