MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS FOR QC METROLOGY OF SYNTHETICALLY GENERATED DIAMOND WITH NV CENTERS

• US 20170212046A1
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Cammerata, Jeff D.
• Application Number:
  US15/003,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20170212046A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/646 Detecting fluorescent inhomogeneities at a position, e.g. for detecting defects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/63 optically excited
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6489 Photoluminescence of semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/66 electrically excited, e.g. electroluminescence

Abstract

A system measures the quantum energy levels of a diamond nitrogen vacancy (DNV) material to provide information regarding the quality of the material. The measurements may provide information regarding the degree of strain in the crystal lattice of the material, the concentration of crystal defect in the material, the concentration of nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in the material, or the concentration of impurities in the material. The system may be employed to perform quality control checks on the properties of the DNV material quickly and non-destructively.

Claims

1. A system comprising,

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a magnetic field generator configured to produce a magnetic field;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

control the magnetic field generator to apply or not apply a magnetic field at the NV diamond material,

determine a degree of strain in a crystal lattice of the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector when the magnetic field is not applied to the NV diamond material, and

determine a concentration of the NV centers in the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector when the magnetic field is applied to the NV diamond material.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the concentration of the NV centers in the NV diamond material by resolving hyperfines in the received light detection signal from the optical detector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the concentration of impurities in the NV diamond material.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the impurities include at least one of ¹⁵N or ¹³C.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine the concentration of impurities in the NV by determining the location of hyperfines in the received light detection signal from the optical detector.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a concentration of crystal lattice defects in the NV diamond material based on the received light detection signal from the optical detector when the magnetic field is not applied to the NV diamond material.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the optical excitation source to provide continuous wave (CW) excitation to the NV diamond material, and

control the RF excitation source to provide CW RF excitation to the NV diamond material.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the degree of strain in the crystal lattice of the NV diamond material by resolving the location of lorentzian peaks in the received light detection signal from the optical detector when the magnetic field is not applied to the NV diamond material.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a concentration of crystal lattice defects in the NV diamond material based on the received light detection signal from the optical detector.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

control the optical excitation source to provide continuous wave (CW) excitation to the NV diamond material, and

control the RF excitation source to provide CW RF excitation to the NV diamond material.

9. A system comprising:

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

determine a degree of strain in a crystal lattice of the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector when the magnetic field, and

determine whether the degree of strain in the crystal lattice of the NV diamond exceeds a threshold value.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the threshold value is a previously determined degree of strain stored in a memory of the controller.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the threshold value is a maximum acceptable degree of strain.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a concentration of crystal lattice defects in the NV diamond material based on the received light detection signal from the optical detector, and

determine whether the concentration of crystal lattice defects in the NV diamond material exceeds a threshold value.

13. A system, comprising:

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

determine a degree of strain in a crystal lattice of the NV diamond material by resolving the location of lorentzian peaks in a received light detection signal from the optical detector.

16. A system comprising,

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a magnetic field source;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

determine a concentration of the NV centers in the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to determine the concentration of the NV centers in the NV diamond material by resolving hyperfines in the received light detection signal from the optical detector.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the concentration of impurities in the NV diamond material.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the impurities include at least one of ¹⁵N or ¹³C.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to determine the concentration of impurities in the NV by determining the location of hyperfines in the received light detection signal from the optical detector.

21. A system comprising,

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a magnetic field source configured to apply a magnetic field to the NV diamond material;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

determine a concentration of the NV centers in the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector, and

determine whether the concentration of NV centers in the NV diamond material exceeds a threshold value.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the threshold value is a previously determined concentration of NV centers stored in a memory of the controller.

23. A system comprising,

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a magnetic field source configured to apply a magnetic field to the NV diamond material;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

determine a concentration of impurities in the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector, and

determine whether the concentration of impurities in the NV diamond material exceeds a threshold value.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the threshold value is a previously determined concentration of impurities stored in a memory of the controller.

25. A system comprising:

a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material comprising a plurality of NV centers;

a radio frequency (RF) excitation source configured to provide RF excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical excitation source configured to provide optical excitation to the NV diamond material;

an optical detector configured to receive an optical signal emitted by the NV diamond material; and

a controller configured to;

determine a concentration of crystal lattice defects in a crystal lattice of the NV diamond material based on a received light detection signal from the optical detector, and

determine whether the concentration of crystal lattice defects in the crystal lattice of the NV diamond exceeds a threshold value.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the threshold value is a previously determined concentration of crystal lattice defects stored in a memory of the controller.