Optical coherence of diamond nitrogen-vacancy centers formed by ion implantation and annealing

Abstract

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond with coherent optical transitions are a promising candidate for quantum science and technology protocols. A widely used strategy for their creation is nitrogen-ion implantation and high-temperature annealing. The data presented in this work show that while low-strain, narrow-optical-linewidth NV centers are formed from naturally occurring ${}^{14}$N atoms, NV centers formed from the implanted ${}^{15}$N atoms show broadened optical transitions and experience higher strain. These results have immediate implications for the positioning accuracy of current NV center creation protocols.