ABSTRACT Defect and impurity centers in diamond can exist in multiple charge states. A notable example is a negatively and neutrally charged nitrogen‐vacancy center in diamond, whose optical and spin properties are very different. Recent DFT studies show that an energetically favorable charge state can be controlled by adjusting the chemical potential of the diamond sample, which often requires significant materials engineering. This study presents an alternative approach for the control of charge states with the use of nanosecond high‐voltage pulse discharges. We demonstrate the control of silicon‐vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond. Using time‐resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy measurement of the SiV centers with the application of nanosecond high‐voltage pulses, we show the emergence of the negatively charged SiV−state. We also employ the time‐resolved PL measurements and show that the population of the induced SiV−charge state decays exponentially, and the lifetime of the charge state is determined by 200–1100 ms. The observed long‐lived charge state is potentially useful for applications based on the SiV−center. This method also paved the way to access various charge states of defect and impurity centers in diamond and wide‐bandgap semiconductors.
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3D‐Mapping and Manipulation of Photocurrent in an Optoelectronic Diamond Device
Abstract Establishing connections between material impurities and charge transport properties in emerging electronic and quantum materials, such as wide‐bandgap semiconductors, demands new diagnostic methods tailored to these unique systems. Many such materials host optically‐active defect centers which offer a powerful in situ characterization system, but one that typically relies on the weak spin‐electric field coupling to measure electronic phenomena. In this work, charge‐state sensitive optical microscopy is combined with photoelectric detection of an array of nitrogen‐vacancy (NV) centers to directly image the flow of charge carriers inside a diamond optoelectronic device, in 3D and with temporal resolution. Optical control is used to change the charge state of background impurities inside the diamond on‐demand, resulting in drastically different current flow such as filamentary channels nucleating from specific, defective regions of the device. Conducting channels that control carrier flow, key steps toward optically reconfigurable, wide‐bandgap optoelectronics are then engineered using light. This work might be extended to probe other wide‐bandgap semiconductors (SiC, GaN) relevant to present and emerging electronic and quantum technologies.
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- PAR ID:
- 10592365
- Publisher / Repository:
- Adv. Mat.
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials
- ISSN:
- 0935-9648
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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