title: Active and fast charge-state switching of single NV centres in diamond by in-plane Al-Schottky junctions.
abstract: In this paper, we demonstrate an active and fast control of the charge state and hence of the optical and electronic properties of single and near-surface nitrogen-vacancy centres (NV centres) in diamond. This active manipulation is achieved by using a two-dimensional Schottky-diode structure from diamond, i.e., by using aluminium as Schottky contact on a hydrogen terminated diamond surface. By changing the applied potential on the Schottky contact, we are able to actively switch single NV centres between all three charge states NV+, NV0and NV-on a timescale of 10 to 100 ns, corresponding to a switching frequency of 10-100 MHz. This switching frequency is much higher than the hyperfine interaction frequency between an electron spin (of NV-) and a nuclear spin (of15N or13C for example) of 2.66 kHz. This high-frequency charge state switching with a planar diode structure would open the door for many quantum optical applications such as a quantum computer with single NVs for quantum information processing as well as single13C atoms for long-lifetime storage of quantum information. Furthermore, a control of spectral emission properties of single NVs as a single photon emitters - embedded in photonic structures for example - can be realized which would be vital for quantum communication and cryptography.
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schreyvogel
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polyakov
authors.affiliation: 3rd Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burk
authors.affiliation: 3rd Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fedder
authors.affiliation: 3rd Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denisenko
authors.affiliation: 3rd Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fávaro de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Geoscience, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wunderlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Geoscience, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zuerbig
authors.affiliation: 3rd Institute of Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wrachtrup
authors.affiliation: Fraunhofer-Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), 79108 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Nebel
keywords: NV centre; active charge state control; diamond; fast charge state switching; two-dimensional Schottky diode