Thorlabs' single-crystal diamonds are manufactured by Element Six using patented processes and offered by Thorlabs to enable quantum research advancements. They are ideal for magnetic field sensing, RF detection, gyroscopes, masers, quantum demonstrations, quantum computing, quantum communication, and research applications. The quantum-grade diamonds are available with either 300 ppb or 4.5 ppm nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center densities. For users who wish to create their own defect centers, electronic-grade diamonds with ≤0.03 ppb NV concentration and low background impurity is available. These diamonds are useful for applications such as fabricating ionizing radiation-resistant devices.
Features:
- Single-Crystal Diamonds Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)
- Uniform Distribution of NV Centers
- Quantum-Grade or Electronic-Grade Diamonds Available
Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers: Nitrogen-vacancy centers are defects in the
carbon lattice that are paired with adjacent vacancies.
Quantum-Grade Single Crystal Diamonds
These quantum-grade diamonds are available with either 300 ppb or 4.5 ppm nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center densities. This produces diamond NV (DNV) centers with readable and writable spin qubits that have long lifetimes at room temperature, advantages that arise from the structure and strong covalent bonds of diamond. The density of NV spin centers, their uniform distribution, the spin characteristics, and the compact form factor make this diamond ideal for magnetic field sensing, RF detection, gyroscopes, masers, quantum demonstrations, and research applications.
- Two NV Center Densities Available:
- DNVB1: 300 ppb
- DNVB14: 4.5 ppm
- Available as a 3.0 mm x 3.0 mm Square
Electronic-Grade, single-crystal diamonds
- Low Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) Center Density: ≤0.03 ppb
- Available in Three Sizes:
- 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm Square
- 4.0 mm x 4.0 mm Square
- 4.5 mm x 4.5 mm Square
These electronic-grade, single-crystal diamonds contain ≤5 ppb nitrogen concentration and typically ≤0.03 ppb nitrogen-vacancy (NV) concentration. Additionally, the diamonds have a very low background impurity of <1 ppb boron concentration and exhibit electron mobility that is typically greater than 2000 cm2/V⋅s. These diamonds allow the user to probe the as-grown NV defects or generate their own via ion implantation or epitaxial growth. Alternatively, they can be used as a high thermal conductivity and optically transparent heat sink for a high power laser or microelectronic device, as well as for custom-made diamond electronic devices such as radiation detectors. The diamonds are offered as 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm, 4.0 mm x 4.0 mm, or 4.5 mm x 4.5 mm squares.
Specifications for Quantum-Grade Single Crystal Diamonds:
| Item # | DNVB1 | DNVB14 |
|---|---|---|
| Quantum Properties | ||
| Typical NV Center Density | 300 ppb | 4.5 ppm |
| Typical Spin Coherence Time T2* a | 1 µs | 0.5 µs |
| Typical Spin Coherence Time T2 b | 200 µs | 10 µs |
| General Specifications | ||
| Crystallographic Orientation | {100} ± 3° | |
| Edge Orientation | <100> | |
| Typical Dimensions (L x W x H) | 3.0 mm x 3.0 mm x 0.5 mm | |
| Dimensional Tolerance | 0.05 mm | |
| Edge Features | <0.2 mm | |
| Roughness, Ra | <10 nm | |
| 13C Fraction | 1.1% | |
Specifications for Electronic-Grade Single Crystal Diamonds:
| Item # | ELSC20 | ELSC40 | ELSC45 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystallographic (Face) Orientation | {100} ± 3° | |||
| Edge Orientation | <110> | |||
| Dimensionsa | Length | 2.0 +0.2/-0.0 mm | 4.0 +0.2/-0.0 mm | 4.5 +0.2/-0.0 mm |
| Width | 2.0 +0.2/-0.0 mm | 4.0 +0.2/-0.0 mm | 4.5 +0.2/-0.0 mm | |
| Thickness | 0.5 ± 0.05 mm | |||
| Laser Kerf | ≤5° | |||
| Edge Features | <0.2 mm | |||
| Roughness, Ra | <5 nm | |||
| Boron Concentration | <1 ppb | |||
| Nitrogen Concentration | ≤5 ppb | |||
| Typical NV Concentration | ≤0.03 ppb | |||
| 13C Fraction | 1.1% | |||
Theory & Discussion:
The energy level diagram for a diamond NV– center in zero magnetic field. The spin triplet ground (3A2) and excited (3E) states have an energy difference of 637 nm (1.945 eV), and each is split into singly degenerate ms = 0 and doubly degenerate ms = ±1 spin states with energy differences of Dgs = 2.88 GHz (12 µeV) and Des = 1.42 GHz (5.9 µeV), respectively. Note, the scale of the spin sub-level splitting is highly exaggerated to be visible. There are also two optically dark, ms = 0 intermediate states with an energy difference of 1042 nm (1.190 eV).
The triplet ground state of an NV- center shows fine structure splitting (Dgs = 2.88 GHz) between the ms = 0 and ms = ±1 states due to spin-spin interactions. Application of an external magnetic field (B) along the [111] defect axis causes a further splitting (ΔE = 2gµBB) of the ms = ±1 states due to the Zeeman effect, where g is the Landé factor and µB is the Bohr magneton.