Creation of NV centers in diamond under 155 MeV electron irradiation

Single-crystal diamond substrates presenting a high concentration of negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centers (NV-) are on high demand for the development of optically pumped solid-state sensors such as magnetometers, thermometers or electrometers. While nitrogen impurities can be easily incorporated during crystal growth, the creation of vacancies requires further treatment. Electron irradiation and annealing is often chosen in this context, offering advantages with respect to irradiation by heavier particles that negatively affect the crystal lattice structure and consequently the NV- optical and spin properties. A thorough investigation of electron irradiation possibilities is needed to optimize the process and improve the sensitivity of NV-based sensors. In this work we examine the effect of electron irradiation in a previously unexplored regime: extremely high energy electrons, at 155 MeV. We develop a simulation model to estimate the concentration of created vacancies and experimentally demonstrate an increase of NV- concentration by more than 3 orders of magnitude following irradiation of a nitrogen-rich HPHT diamond over a very large sample volume, which translates into an important gain in sensitivity. Moreover, we discuss the impact of electron irradiation in this peculiar regime on other figures of merits relevant for NV sensing, i.e. charge state conversion efficiency and spin relaxation time. Finally, the effect of extremely high energy irradiation is compared with the more conventional low energy irradiation process, employing 200 keV electrons from a transmission electron microscope, for different substrates and irradiation fluences, evidencing sixty-fold higher yield of vacancy creation per electron at 155 MeV

Neuronal growth on high-aspect-ratio diamond nanopillar arrays for biosensing applications

Monitoring neuronal activity with simultaneously high spatial and temporal resolution in living cell cultures is crucial to advance understanding of the development and functioning of our brain, and to gain further insights in the origin of brain disorders. While it has been demonstrated that the quantum sensing capabilities of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond allow real time detection of action potentials from large neurons in marine invertebrates, quantum monitoring of mammalian neurons (presenting much smaller dimensions and thus producing much lower signal and requiring higher spatial resolution) has hitherto remained elusive. In this context, diamond nanostructuring can offer the opportunity to boost the diamond platform sensitivity to the required level. However, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of a nanostructured diamond surface on the neuronal viability and growth was lacking. Here, we pattern a single crystal diamond surface with large-scale nanopillar arrays and we successfully demonstrate growth of a network of living and functional primary mouse hippocampal neurons on it. Our study on geometrical parameters reveals preferential growth along the nanopillar grid axes with excellent physical contact between cell membrane and nanopillar apex. Our results suggest that neuron growth can be tailored on diamond nanopillars to realize a nanophotonic quantum sensing platform for wide-field and label-free neuronal activity recording with sub-cellular resolution

Fluides quantiques de polartions dans des réseaux unidimensionnels synthétiques : localisation, propagation et interactions

Semiconductor microcavities have emerged as a powerful platform for the study of interacting quantum fluids. In these cavities, light and electronic excitations are confined in small volumes, and their coupling is so strongly enhanced that optical properties are governed by hybrid light-matter quasiparticles, known as cavity polaritons. These quasiparticles propagate like photons and interact with their environment via their matter part. They can macroscopically occupy a single quantum state and then behave as an extended coherent nonlinear wave, i.e. as a quantum fluid of light. In this thesis, we study the nonlinear dynamics of polariton quantum fluids in various one-dimensional microstructures. The possibility to etch microstructures out of planar cavities, a technology developed at C2N, allows full engineering of the potential landscape for the polariton fluid, and implementing complex geometries. In a first part, we have studied the localization properties of the eigenstates in synthetic quasiperiodic lattices. Theoretical exploration of the localization phase diagram revealed a novel delocalization-localization transition in an original deformation of a quasicrystal and we have experimentally evidenced this transition. A second part of the thesis is dedicated to the study of the nonlinear dynamics of two counterpropagating polariton fluids in a one-dimensional channel. The interplay between kinetic and interaction energy is responsible for the formation of dark solitons, whose number and position can be controlled by optical means. We have evidenced a bistable behaviour controlled by the phase twist imprinted on the two fluids. The last part of this work addresses the study of nonlinearities for a fluid injected in a flat band. Therein, the kinetic energy of the fluid is quenched, so that propagation is frozen. We then observe the formation of nonlinear domains with quantized size. This work opens us exciting perspectives, specifically towards the exploration of topological phases of interacting bosons. Enhancing interactions would also allow using our platform for quantum simulation.Les microcavités à semiconducteurs apparaissent aujourd’hui comme une plateforme particulièrement propice à l’étude des fluides quantiques en interactions. Dans ces cavités, la lumière et les excitations électroniques sont confinées dans de petits volumes et leur couplage est rendu si fort que les propriétés optiques sont gouvernées par des quasi-particules hybrides lumière-matière appelées polaritons de cavité. Ces quasi-particules se propagent comme des photons, mais interagissent avec leur environnement via leur partie matière. Elles peuvent occuper massivement un même état quantique et se comporter comme une onde macroscopique cohérente et non-linéaire. On parle alors de fluide quantique de lumière. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions la dynamique de fluides quantiques de polaritons dans différentes microstructures unidimensionnelles. La technologie de gravure de microcavités planaires, développée au C2N, permet de réaliser une ingénierie complète du potentiel dans lequel nous générons ces fluides de polaritons et d’implémenter des géométries complexes. Dans une première partie, nous avons étudié les propriétés de localisation des états propres de réseaux synthétiques quasi-périodes. L’exploration théorique du diagramme de phase de localisation des modes propres a dévoilé une nouvelle transition de type délocalisation-localisation lors d’une déformation originale d’un quasi-cristal, transition que nous avons pu observer expérimentalement. Une deuxième partie de la thèse est consacrée à l’étude de la dynamique non-linéaire de deux fluides contra-propageant dans un canal unidimensionnel. La compétition entre énergie cinétique et énergie d’interactions conduit alors à l’apparition de solitons sombres, dont le nombre discret et la position peuvent être contrôlés optiquement. Nous avons mis en évidence une bistabilité contrôlée par la différence de phase imprimée sur les deux fluides. La dernière partie du travail concerne l’étude des non-linéarités pour un fluide de polaritons occupant une bande plate. L’énergie cinétique du fluide y est nulle, si bien que sa propagation est gelée. Nous observons alors la formation de domaines non-linéaires de taille quantifiée. Ce travail ouvre des perspectives prometteuses, tout particulièrement pour l’exploration de phases topologiques de bosons en interactions. De plus, augmenter les interactions permettrait d’utiliser notre plate-forme comme un simulateur quantique

Optically detected magnetic resonance with an open source platform

Localized electronic spins in solid-state environments form versatile and robust platforms for quantum sensing, metrology and quantum information processing. With optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), it is possible to prepare and readout highly coherent spin systems, up to room temperature, with orders of magnitude enhanced sensitivities and spatial resolutions compared to induction-based techniques, allowing single spin manipulations. While ODMR was first observed in organic molecules, many other systems are nowadays intensively being searched for, discovered and studied. Among them is the nitrogen-vacany (NV) center in diamond. Beyond ODMR it is notably already widely and successfully used both both as a high-resolution high-sensitivity quantum sensors for external fields and as a qubit. Others are rare earth ions used as quantum memories and many other color centers trapped in bulk or 2-dimensional materials. In order to allow the broadest possible community of researchers and engineers to investigate and develop novel ODMR-based materials and applications, we overview here the setting up of ODMR experiments using commercially available hardware. We also present in detail a dedicated collaborative open-source interface named Qudi and describe the original features we have added to speed-up data acquisition, relax instrumental requirements and widen its applicability to individual and ensemble ODMR systems. Associating hardware and software discussions, this article aims to steepen the learning curve of newcomers in ODMR from a variety of scientific backgrounds, to optimize the experimental development time, preempt the common measurement pitfalls, and to provide an efficient, portable and collaborative interface to explore innovative experiments.Comment: This material has been submitted to Applied Physics Reviews, 25 Pages, 15 figures, 3 tables, 140 reference

Emergence of criticality through a cascade of delocalization transitions in quasiperiodic chains

Conduction through materials crucially depends on how ordered the materials are. Periodically ordered systems exhibit extended Bloch waves that generate metallic bands, whereas disorder is known to limit conduction and localize the motion of particles in a medium1,2. In this context, quasiperiodic systems, which are neither periodic nor disordered, demonstrate exotic conduction properties, self-similar wavefunctions and critical phenomena3. Here, we explore the localization properties of waves in a novel family of quasiperiodic chains obtained when continuously interpolating between two paradigmatic limits4: the Aubry–André model5,6, famous for its metal-to-insulator transition, and the Fibonacci chain7,8, known for its critical nature. We discover that the Aubry–André model evolves into criticality through a cascade of band-selective localization/delocalization transitions that iteratively shape the self-similar critical wavefunctions of the Fibonacci chain. Using experiments on cavity-polariton devices, we observe the first transition and reveal the microscopic origin of the cascade. Our findings offer (1) a unique new insight into understanding the criticality of quasiperiodic chains, (2) a controllable knob by which to engineer band-selective pass filters and (3) a versatile experimental platform with which to further study the interplay of many-body interactions and dissipation in a wide range of quasiperiodic models.ISSN:1745-2473ISSN:1745-248