Fabrication of conductive micro electrodes in diamond bulk using pulsed Bessel beams

High-quality, in-bulk conductive graphitic microelectrodes are fabricated perpendicular to the surface of a 500 μm thick monocrystalline CVD diamond sample using pulsed Bessel beams. With a 12o cone angle beam, different pulse parameters are explored to optimize the graphitic wires which are written without sample translation. The quality of the electrodes and their electrical and structural properties have been analysed through currentvoltage characterization and micro-Raman spectroscopy. We have found that higher pulse duration favours better conductivity while pulse energy has an optimum value for the same. This trend is confirmed by the presence and the different amounts of graphitic-like sp2 bonded carbon revealed by the micro-Raman spectra in different configurations. Using suitable writing parameters, we are able to create electrodes with the resistivity of 0.04 Ω cm, which, to the best of our knowledge, is one of the lowest values ever reported in literature in the case of graphitic-like wires fabricated through laser micromachining

Diamond photonics platform enabled by femtosecond laser writing

We demonstrate the first buried optical waveguides in diamond using focused femtosecond laser pulses. The properties of nitrogen vacancy centers are preserved in the waveguides, making them promising for diamond-based magnetometers or quantum information systems.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figure

Origin of femtosecond laser induced periodic nanostructure on diamond

We study the evolution of periodic nanostructures formed on the surface of diamond by femtosecond laser irradiation delivering 230 fs pulses at 1030 nm and 515 nm wavelengths with a repetition rate of 250 kHz. Using scanning electron microscopy, we observe a change in the periodicity of the nanostructures by varying the number of pulses overlapping in the laser focal volume. We simulate the evolution of the period of the high spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures at the two wavelengths as a function of number of pulses, accounting for the change in the optical properties of diamond via a generalized plasmonic model. We propose a hypothesis that describes the origin of the nanostructures and the principal role of plasmonic excitation in their formation during multipulse femtosecond laser irradiation

Quantum micro–nano devices fabricated in diamond by femtosecond laser and ion irradiation

Diamond has attracted great interest as a quantum technology platform thanks to its optically active nitrogen vacancy (NV) center. The NV's ground state spin can be read out optically, exhibiting long spin coherence times of ≈1 ms even at ambient temperatures. In addition, the energy levels of the NV are sensitive to external fields. These properties make NVs attractive as a scalable platform for efficient nanoscale resolution sensing based on electron spins and for quantum information systems. Diamond photonics enhance optical interactions with NVs, beneficial for both quantum sensing and information. Diamond is also compelling for microfluidic applications due to its outstanding biocompatibility, with sensing functionality provided by NVs. However, it remains a significant challenge to fabricate photonics, NVs, and microfluidics in diamond. In this Progress Report, an overview is provided of ion irradiation and femtosecond laser writing, two promising fabrication methods for diamond‐based quantum technological devices. The unique capabilities of both techniques are described, and the most important fabrication results of color center, optical waveguide, and microfluidics in diamond are reported, with an emphasis on integrated devices aiming toward high performance quantum sensors and quantum information systems of tomorrow

LTA zeolite particles functionalized with nanomagnetite for effective recovery of dysprosium from liquid solutions

Rare earth elements (REEs) as Dysprosium (Dy) are critical elements for the fabrication of components in many green energy technologies, from electric vehicles to wind turbines. Consequently, there is an increasing interest in creating sustainable and effective materials for the recovery and recycling of these elements. Zeolite materials have demonstrated a high affinity and selectivity for REEs. Thus, this paper aims to study the use of a synthetic LTA zeolite functionalized with nanomagnetite for Dy absorption, including a complete characterization of the synthetic zeolite, the kinetics and the factors affecting the adsorption efficiency. The maximum adsorption capacity reaches a value around 35 mg of Dy per gram of zeolite. The results from the adsorption isotherms and kinetic study revealed a good agreement with both Langmuir and Temkin models and pseudo-second-order kinetics. Furthermore, the thermodynamic analysis suggests that the adsorption of Dy onto the zeolite is a spontaneous and favorable process. The findings from this work could provide insights into the design and optimization of zeolite-based processes for REE recovery and recycling, contributing to the development of a more sustainable and circular economy.The authors are grateful to the Comunidad de Madrid for support via the Project PR65/19–22464 (Proyectos de I + D para j´ ovenes doctores). B. Sotillo acknowledges financial support from Comunidad de Madrid (Ayudas del Programa de Atracci´ on de Talento 2017-T2/IND-5465). This work has been partially financed by the RC Metals Project 202260E098-CSIC

Role of the La/K Compositional Ratio in the Properties of Waveguides Written by Fs-Laser Induced Element Redistribution in Phosphate-Based Glasses

The local modification of the composition of glasses by high repetition femtosecond laser irradiation is an attractive method for producing photonic devices. Recently, the successful production of waveguides with a refractive index contrast (Δn) above 10−2 by fs-laser writing has been demonstrated in phosphate glasses containing La2O3 and K2O modifiers. This large index contrast has been related to a local enrichment in lanthanum in the light guiding region accompanied by a depletion in potassium. In this work, we have studied the influence of the initial glass composition on the performance of waveguides that are produced by fs-laser induced element redistribution (FLIER) in phosphate-based samples with different La and K concentrations. We have analyzed the contribution to the electronic polarizability of the different glass constituents based on refractive index measurements of the untreated samples, and used it to estimate the expected index contrast caused by the experimentally measured local compositional changes in laser written guiding structures. These estimated values have been compared to experimental ones that are derived from near field images of the guided modes with an excellent agreement. Therefore, we have developed a method to estimate before-hand the expected index contrast in fs-laser written waveguides via FLIER for a given glass composition. The obtained results stress the importance of considering the contribution to the polarizability of all the moving species when computing the expected refractive index changes that are caused by FLIER processes.This research was funded through grant numbers TEC2017-82464-R, MAT2017-87035-C2-1-P,and RTI2018-096498-B-I00 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, EU)