Fabrication of Two-Dimensional Arrays of Fluorescent Centers in Single-Crystalline Diamond Using Particle Beam Writing

Abstract

Micrometer-scale patterning was performed using the particle beam writing technique with a focused heavy-ion microbeam, allowing the creation of a unique two-dimensional distribution of fluorescent centers in single-crystalline diamond. The focused nitrogen microbeam was scanned over the target of single-crystalline diamond prepared by chemical vapor deposition to create nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers at defined positions. Imaging using a custom-built confocal fluorescence microscopy system revealed that the desired NV distribution was generated in the target crystal with a spatial resolution similar to the beam resolution. A two-dimensional matrix barcode test pattern was successfully generated in a diamond substrate to demonstrate the encryption of information inside a solid-state target.