arXiv · 2507.14047
Fabrication of oriented NV center arrays in diamond via femtosecond laser writing and reorientation
Abstract
Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are widely recognized as highly promising solid-state quantum sensors due to their long room temperature coherence times and atomic-scale size, which enable exceptional sensitivity and nanoscale spatial resolution under ambient conditions. Ultrafast laser writing has demonstrated the deterministic spatial control of individual NV$^-$ centers, however, the resulting random orientation of the defect axis limits the magnetic field sensitivity and signal contrast. Here, we present an all-optical approach for reorienting laser-written NV$^-$ centers to lie along a specific crystallographic axis using femtosecond laser annealing. This technique enables the creation of spatially ordered NV$^-$ arrays with uniform orientation, for enhancing performance for quantum magnetometry. We achieve deterministic alignment along the optical axis in both (100)- and (111)-oriented diamond substrates, paving the way for scalable, high-performance quantum devices based on orientation-controlled NV$^-$ centers.
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Kai Klink, Andrew Raj Kirkpatrick, Yukihiro Tadokoro, Jonas Nils Becker, Shannon Singer Nicley. 2025-07-18. Fabrication of oriented NV center arrays in diamond via femtosecond laser writing and reorientation. https://doi.org/10.3389/frqst.2025.1667545
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