Efficient Light Harvesting from Diamond Defects
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and Humboldt Universität of Berlin, Germany, have developed a technique to capture nearly all light emitted by nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond defects.
This breakthrough has the potential to boost room-temperature quantum technology platforms, particularly in quantum communication and quantum sensing.
Nitrogen-Vacancy Centres
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres are point defects that occur when a carbon atom in diamond's lattice structure is replaced by a nitrogen atom next to an empty lattice site (a vacancy).
Together, this nitrogen atom and its adjacent vacancy behave like a negatively charged entity with an intrinsic quantum spin.
Chip-Integrated Nanoantenna
The technique relies on positioning a nanoscale diamond at an optimal location within a chip-integrated nanoantenna, allowing for efficient light harvesting.
This innovation could lead to significant improvements in quantum technology applications.
Author's summary: Breakthrough in harvesting light from diamond defects for quantum technology.