Selective Generation of V2 Silicon Vacancy Centers in 4H-Silicon Carbide

The deterministic generation of individual color centers with defined orientations or types in solid-state systems is paramount for advancements in quantum technologies. Silicon vacancies in 4H-silicon carbide (4H-SiC) can be formed in V1 and V2 types. However, silicon vacancies are typically generated randomly between V1 and V2 types with similar probabilities. Here, we show that the preferred V2 centers can be selectively generated by focused ion beam (FIB) implantation on the m-plane in 4H-SiC. When implantation is on the m-plane (a-plane), the generation probability ratio between V1 and V2 centers increase exponentially (remains constant) with decreasing FIB fluences. With a fluence of 10 ions/spot, the probability to generate V2 centers is seven times higher than V1 centers. Our results represent a critical step toward the deterministic creation of specific defect types.