title: Luminescence lifetimes of neutral nitrogen-vacancy centres in synthetic diamond containing nitrogen.
abstract: The decay time of luminescence from neutral nitrogen-vacancy (NV(0)) centres in synthetic diamond is reported. The intrinsic luminescence lifetime of NV (0) is measured as τ(r) = 19 ± 2 ns. Neutral substitutional nitrogen atoms (N(S)(0)) are shown to quench luminescence from NV(0) by dipole-dipole resonant energy transfer at a rate such that the transfer time would equal τ(r) if one (N(S)(0)) atom was ~3 nm from the NV(0). In chemical-vapour-deposited diamonds grown with a small nitrogen content, that are brown as a result of vacancy-cluster defects, the decay time of NV(0) equals τ(r) in the as-grown material. However, after annealing at ≥1700 °C to remove the brown colour, luminescence from the NV(0) centres is severely quenched. This effect is suggested to be a result of the destruction of NV(0) centres and the creation of new NV(0) centres localized in vacancy-rich regions of the crystals.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Research, Vilnius University, Vilnius 10222, Lithuania. gediminas.liaugaudas@tmi.vu.lt
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liaugaudas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suhling
authors.forename: R U A
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: D J F
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003460:Crystallization; D018130:Diamond / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D049449:Luminescence; D008422:Materials Testing; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018130:Diamond; D009584:Nitrogen