{
  "id": "2208.14154",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2022-08-30T11:13:28.000Z",
  "updated": "2022-08-30T11:13:28.000Z",
  "title": "Charge stability and charge-state-based spin readout of shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond",
  "authors": [
    "Rakshyakar Giri",
    "Rasmus H. Jensen",
    "Deepak Khurana",
    "Juanita Bocquel",
    "Ilya P. Radko",
    "Johannes Lang",
    "Christian Osterkamp",
    "Fedor Jelezko",
    "Kirstine Berg-Sorensen",
    "Ulrik L. Andersen",
    "Alexander Huck"
  ],
  "comment": "8 pages, 4 figures",
  "categories": [
    "cond-mat.mes-hall",
    "quant-ph"
  ],
  "abstract": "Spin-based applications of the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamonds require efficient spin readout. One approach is the spin-to-charge conversion (SCC), relying on mapping the spin states onto the neutral (NV$^0$) and negative (NV$^-$) charge states, followed by a subsequent charge readout. With high charge-state stability, SCC enables extended measurement times, increasing precision and minimizing noise in the readout compared to the commonly used fluorescence detection. Nano-scale sensing applications, however, require shallow NV centers within a few nm distance from the surface, where surface-related effects might degrade the NV charge state. In this article, we investigate the charge state initialization and stability of single NV centers implanted ~ 5nm below the surface of a flat diamond plate. We demonstrate the SCC protocol on four shallow NV centers suitable for nano-scale sensing, obtaining a reduced readout noise of 5--6 times the spin-projection noise limit. We investigate the general applicability of SCC for shallow NV centers and observe a correlation between NV charge-state stability and readout noise. Coating the diamond with glycerol improves both charge initialization and stability. Our results reveal the influence of the surface-related charge environment on the NV charge properties and pave the way towards efficient spin-state readout of shallow NV centers suitable for nano-scale sensing.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2022-08-30T11:13:28.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "shallow nitrogen-vacancy centers",
      "charge-state-based spin readout",
      "charge stability",
      "charge state",
      "shallow nv centers suitable"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 8,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}