Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025

Silicon Nanowires and Optical Stimulation for Investigations of Intra- and Intercellular Electrical Coupling
Published on: January 28, 2021
Surface Coupling of NV Centers over Nanoscale Lengths
Arsineh Apelian1, Mariya Romanova2, Vojtech Vlcek1,2
1Materials Department, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9510, United States.
Subsurface nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are key quantum sensors. We found that NV centers shallower than 4 nm are unstable, guiding the design of more robust quantum sensing devices.
Area of Science:
- Quantum sensing
- Materials science
- Surface physics
Background:
- Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are promising quantum sensors.
- Surface states can cause decoherence, limiting NV center stability and sensor performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the stability of shallow subsurface NV centers.
- Determine the influence of surface orientation and termination on NV center stability.
- Establish a theoretical limit for NV center depth for stable quantum sensing.
Main Methods:
- Simulations of subsurface NV centers in 8 nm diamond slabs.
- Analysis of (100) and (111) surface orientations with hydrogen and nitrogen terminations.
- Many-body calculations using the GW approximation to model defect stability.
Main Results:
- Surface states significantly impact NV center stability.
- The (100) N-terminated surface exhibits strong instabilities.
- The (111) N-terminated surface offers a more stable configuration.
- NV centers shallower than approximately 4 nm are susceptible to surface-induced ionization.
Conclusions:
- Surface properties critically affect shallow NV center stability.
- A minimum depth of ~4 nm is required for stable NV centers.
- These findings provide crucial guidance for designing advanced NV-based quantum sensors.
More Related Videos
11:03Nanoscale Characterization of Liquid-Solid Interfaces by Coupling Cryo-Focused Ion Beam Milling with Scanning Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy
Published on: July 14, 2022
08:18Microscopic Visualization of Porous Nanographenes Synthesized through a Combination of Solution and On-Surface Chemistry
Published on: March 4, 2021
Related Concept Videos
¹H NMR: Long-Range Coupling
In alkenes, spin information is communicated via σ–π overlap, as seen in allylic (four-bond) and homoallylic (five-bond) couplings. These coupling interactions are stronger when the σ bond is parallel to the alkene...
Spin–Spin Coupling: Three-Bond Coupling (Vicinal Coupling)
The extent of coupling depends on the C‑C bond length, the two H‑C‑C angles, any electron-withdrawing substituents, and the dihedral angle between the...
Spin–Spin Coupling: One-Bond Coupling
Spin–Spin Coupling: Two-Bond Coupling (Geminal Coupling)
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
NMR Spectroscopy: Spin–Spin Coupling
Van der Waals Interactions