The silicon-vacancy ($mathrm{SiV}^-$) color center in diamond has attracted attention due to its unique optical properties. It exhibits spectral stability and indistinguishability that facilitate efficient generation of photons capable of demonstrati
ng quantum interference. Here we show high fidelity optical initialization and readout of electronic spin in a single $mathrm{SiV}^-$ center with a spin relaxation time of $T_1=2.4pm0.2$ ms. Coherent population trapping (CPT) is used to demonstrate coherent preparation of dark superposition states with a spin coherence time of $T_2^star=35pm3$ ns. This is fundamentally limited by orbital relaxation, and an understanding of this process opens the way to extend coherences by engineering interactions with phonons. These results establish the $mathrm{SiV}^-$ center as a solid-state spin-photon interface.
The characteristic transition of the NV- centre at 637 nm is between ${}^3mathrm{A}_2$ and ${}^3mathrm{E}$ triplet states. There are also intermediate ${}^1mathrm{A}_1$ and ${}^1mathrm{E}$ singlet states, and the infrared transition at 1042 nm betwee
n these singlets is studied here using uniaxial stress. The stress shift and splitting parameters are determined, and the physical interaction giving rise to the parameters is considered within the accepted electronic model of the centre. It is established that this interaction for the infrared transition is due to a modification of electron-electron Coulomb repulsion interaction. This is in contrast to the visible 637 nm transition where shifts and splittings arise from modification to the one-electron Coulomb interaction. It is also established that a dynamic Jahn-Teller interaction is associated with the singlet ${}^1mathrm{E}$ state, which gives rise to a vibronic level 115 $mathrm{cm}^{-1}$ above the ${}^1mathrm{E}$ electronic state. Arguments associated with this level are used to provide experimental confirmation that the ${}^1mathrm{A}_1$ is the upper singlet level and ${}^1mathrm{E}$ is the lower singlet level.
Emitters of indistinguishable single photons are crucial for the growing field of quantum technologies. To realize scalability and increase the complexity of quantum optics technologies, multiple independent yet identical single photon emitters are a
lso required. However typical solid-state single photon sources are inherently dissimilar, necessitating the use of electrical feedback or optical cavities to improve spectral overlap between distinct emitters. Here, we demonstrate bright silicon-vacancy (SiV-) centres in low-strain bulk diamond which intrinsically show spectral overlap of up to 91% and near transform-limited excitation linewidths. Our results have impact upon the application of single photon sources for quantum optics and cryptography, and the production of next generation fluorophores for bio-imaging.
The negatively-charged silicon-vacancy (SiV$^-$) center in diamond is a promising single photon source for quantum communications and information processing. However, the centers implementation in such quantum technologies is hindered by contention s
urrounding its fundamental properties. Here we present optical polarization measurements of single centers in bulk diamond that resolve this state of contention and establish that the center has a $langle111rangle$ aligned split-vacancy structure with $D_{3d}$ symmetry. Furthermore, we identify an additional electronic level and evidence for the presence of dynamic Jahn-Teller effects in the centers 738 nm optical resonance.
The novel aspect of the centre (NV-) in diamond is the high degree of spin polarisation achieved through optical illumination. In this paper it is shown that the spin polarisation occurs as a consequence of an electron-vibration interaction combined
with spin-orbit interaction, and an electronic model involving these interactions is developed to account for the observed polarisation.
The emission intensity of diamond samples containing nitrogen-vacancy centres are measured as a function of magnetic field along a <111> direction for various temperatures. At low temperatures the responses are sample and stress dependent and can be
modeled in terms of the previous understanding of the 3E excited state fine structure which is strain dependent. At room temperature the responses are largely sample and stress independent, and modeling involves invoking a strain independent excited state with a single zero field splitting of 1.42 GHz. The change in behaviour is attributed to a temperature dependent averaging process over the components of the excited state orbital doublet. It decouples orbit and spin and at high temperature the spin levels become independent of any orbit splitting. Thus the models can be reconciled and the parameters for low and high temperatures are shown to be consistent.
