Neutral Silicon Vacancy Centers in Diamond via Photoactivated Itinerant Carriers

Abstract

Neutral silicon vacancy (SiV0) centers in diamond are promising candidates for quantum network applications because of their exceptional optical properties and spin coherence. However, the stabilization of SiV0 centers requires careful Fermi level engineering of the diamond host material, making further technological development challenging. Here, we show that SiV0 centers can be efficiently stabilized by photoactivated itinerant carriers. Even in this nonequilibrium configuration, the resulting SiV0 centers are stable enough to allow for resonant optical excitation and optically detected magnetic resonance. Our results pave the way for on-demand generation of SiV0 centers as well as other emerging quantum defects in diamond.