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arXiv · 1310.4240

Detection of a single fundamental charge with nanoscale resolution in ambient conditions using the NV$^-$ center in diamond

Florian Dolde·Marcus W. Doherty·Julia Michl·Ingmar Jakobi·Boris Naydenov·Sebastien Pezzagna·Jan Meijer·Philipp Neumann·Fedor Jelezko·Neil B. Manson·Jörg Wrachtrup
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Abstract

Single charge detection with nanoscale spatial resolution in ambient conditions is a current frontier in metrology that has diverse interdisciplinary applications. Here, such single charge detection is demonstrated using two nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond. One NV center is employed as a sensitive electrometer to detect the change in electric field created by the displacement of a single electron resulting from the optical switching of the other NV center between its neutral (NV$^0$) and negative (NV$^-$) charge states. As a consequence, our measurements also provide direct insight into the charge dynamics inside the material.

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Florian Dolde, Marcus W. Doherty, Julia Michl, Ingmar Jakobi, Boris Naydenov, Sebastien Pezzagna, Jan Meijer, Philipp Neumann, Fedor Jelezko, Neil B. Manson, Jörg Wrachtrup. 2013-10-16. Detection of a single fundamental charge with nanoscale resolution in ambient conditions using the NV$^-$ center in diamond. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.112.097603

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