Nitrogen-vacancy color centers in nanodiamonds as reference single-photon emitters

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Materials science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Accurate optical characterization of single quantum emitters is vital for advancing quantum photonic materials.
• Current methods lack a standardized reference, hindering reproducibility and quantitative analysis.
• Nitrogen vacancy (NV-) centers in nanodiamonds offer potential as stable, single-photon sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish nanodiamonds with NV- centers as a reliable reference standard for single-photon emission.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using these nanodiamonds for reproducible optical characterization.
• To address the challenge of accounting for measurement conditions in quantum emitter research.

Main Methods:

• Selection and characterization of thousands of NV- centers in nanodiamonds.
• Correlating optical pump power with NV- center emission intensity at saturation.
• Cross-laboratory validation of candidate reference emitters, including g(2)(0) measurements.
• Demonstration of a nanodiamond reference standard accounting for experimental conditions.

Main Results:

• Identified four promising NV- center candidates for reference standards.
• Achieved reproducible and reliable single-photon emission measurements across laboratories.
• Established a correlation between optical pump power and emission intensity at saturation.
• Validated the use of nanodiamonds as a model for a single-photon emitter reference standard.

Conclusions:

• Nanodiamonds with NV- centers serve as robust and stable single-photon sources.
• The proposed method enables reproducible optical characterization, crucial for quantum photonic materials.
• This work lays the foundation for a new, standardized reference for single-photon emitter measurements.