Direct Structural Identification and Quantification of the Split-Vacancy Configuration for Implanted Sn in Diamond
U. Wahl, J. G. Correia, Renán Villarreal, Emilie Bourgeois, Michal Gulka, Miloš Nesládek, A. Vantomme, L. M. C. Pereira
Abstract
We demonstrate formation of the ideal split-vacancy configuration of the Sn-vacancy center upon implantation into natural diamond. Using ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ emission channeling following low fluence $^{121}\mathrm{Sn}$ implantation ($2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{atoms}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$, 60 keV) at the ISOLDE facility at CERN, we directly identified and quantified the atomic configurations of the Sn-related centers. Our data show that the split-vacancy configuration is formed immediately upon implantation with a surprisingly high efficiency of $\ensuremath{\approx}40%$. Upon thermal annealing at $920\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$ $\ensuremath{\approx}30%$ of Sn is found in the ideal bond-center position. Photoluminescence revealed the characteristic $\mathrm{Sn}{V}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ line at 621 nm, with an extraordinarily narrow ensemble linewidth (2.3 nm) of near-perfect Lorentzian shape. These findings further establish the $\mathrm{Sn}{V}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ center as a promising candidate for single photon emission applications, since, in addition to exceptional optical properties, it also shows a remarkably simple structural formation mechanism.