DIAMOND OPTICAL ELEMENT

• US 20130270991A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Element Six Technologies US Corporation (Anglo American PLC)
• Original Assignee: Element Six (Holdings) Ltd. (Anglo American PLC), Universitaet Stuttgart
• Inventors: Twitchen, Daniel James, Markham, Matthew Lee, Jelezko, Fedor, Dodson, Joseph Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,169,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/110
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/04 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/00 Refractors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/504
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/02 made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/26 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified physical dimension

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an optical element, the method comprising: growing a first layer of single crystal diamond material via a chemical vapour deposition technique using a gas phase having a first nitrogen concentration; growing a second layer of single crystal diamond material over said first layer via a chemical vapour deposition technique using a gas phase having a second nitrogen concentration, wherein the second nitrogen concentration is lower than the first nitrogen concentration; forming an optical element from at least a portion of the second layer of single crystal diamond material; and forming an out-coupling structure at a surface of the optical element for increasing out-coupling of light.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. An optical element comprising:

a first portion of single crystal diamond material having first single substitutional nitrogen concentration;

a second portion of single crystal diamond material coupled to the first portion, the second portion having a second single substitutional nitrogen concentration which is lower than the first single substitutional nitrogen concentration; and

an out-coupling structure formed at a surface of the optical element for increasing out-coupling of light,

wherein the first portion is formed of a single crystal diamond material having one or more of;

a single substitutional nitrogen concentration equal to or greater than 30 ppb, 50 ppb, 100 ppb, 200 ppb, 300 ppb, 500 ppb, 700 ppb, or 800 ppb; and

an NV⁻

concentration equal to or greater than 0.3 ppb, 0.5 ppb, 1 ppb, 2 ppb, 3 ppb, 5 ppb, 7 ppb, or 8 ppb,

wherein the first portion of single crystal diamond material has one or more of;

a single substitutional nitrogen concentration equal to or less than 5 ppm, 2 ppm, or 1 ppm; and

an NV⁻

concentration equal to or equal to or less than 50 ppb, 20 ppb, or ppb, and

wherein the second portion of single crystal diamond material is formed of a single crystal diamond material having one or more of;

a single substitutional nitrogen concentration equal to or less than 20 ppb, 10 ppb, 5 ppb, 1 ppb or 0.5 ppb;

an NV⁻

concentration equal to or less than 0.15 ppb, 0.1 ppb, 0.05 ppb, 0.001 ppb, 0.0001 ppb or 0.00005 ppb; and

a total concentration of ¹³C equal to or less than 0.9%, 0.7%, 0.4% 0.1%, 0.01%, or 0.001%.

21. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the out-coupling structure is formed in a diamond surface of the optical element whereby the out-coupling structure is integrally formed by the diamond surface of the optical element.

22. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein at least a portion of the out-coupling structure is integrally formed in the first portion of single crystal diamond material.

23. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the surface of the optical element at which the out-coupling structure is formed and/or a surface of the optical element opposite to said surface is formed by one of the following crystallographic planes:

{100};

{110};

{111};

{113}, or within 10°

, 8°

, 5°

, 2°

, 1°

, or 0.5°

from one of the aforementioned crystallographic planes.

24. An optical element according to claim 23, wherein the surface of the optical element at which the out-coupling structure is formed and/or a surface of the optical element opposite to said surface is formed by {111} crystallographic plane to within 10°

, 8°

, 5°

, 2°

, 1°

, or 0.5°

.

25. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the out-coupling structure comprises one or more of:

a convex surface;

a microlens array;

a solid immersion lens (SIL);

a plurality of surface indentations or nano-structures;

a diffraction grating;

a fresnel lens; and

a coating such as an antireflective coating.

26. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the second portion is comprises a layer having a thickness equal to or greater than 0.1 μ

m, 1 μ

m, 10 μ

m, 100 μ

m, 200 μ

m, or 500 μ

m.

27. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the first portion has a single substitutional nitrogen concentration greater that the second portion by a factor of at least 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, or 10000.

28. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the first portion has a total concentration of ¹³C greater than 0.9%.

29. An optical element according to claim 28, wherein the first portion has a natural isotopic abundance of ¹³C relative to ¹²C.

30. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the optical element is formed of a single crystal diamond including both the first and second portions whereby the first and second portions are coupled together by being incorporated into the single crystal diamond.

32. An optical element according to claim 20, wherein the out-coupling structure is a convex surface which is formed by the first and second portions of single crystal diamond material, the first portion forming a spherical cap and the second portion forming a spherical segment.

33. An optical element according to any one of claim 32, wherein the optical structure forms a solid immersion lens (SIL).

35. An optical element according to claim 20, further comprising one or more single photon emitters having a decoherence time T2 equal to or greater than 0.05 ms, 0.1 ms, 0.3 ms, 0.6 ms, 1 ms, or 5 ms.

37. An optical element according to claim 35, wherein the one or more single photon emitters are disposed in the second portion of single crystal diamond material.

38. An optical element according to claim 20, further comprising a third portion of single crystal diamond material coupled to the second portion on an opposite side to the first portion.

39. An optical element according to claim 38, wherein one or more single photon emitters are disposed in the third portion.

31. (canceled)

34. (canceled)

36. (canceled)

40-53. -53. (canceled)