Single photon emission from lithographically-positioned engineered nanodiamonds for cryogenic applications
Published in arXiv preprint, 2025
Nitrogen-vacancy centres in nanodiamonds (NDs) provide a promising resource for quantum photonic systems. However developing a technology beyond proofof-principle physics requires optimally engineering its component parts. In this work, we present a hybrid materials platform by photolithographically positioning ball-milled isotopically-enriched NDs on broadband metal reflectors. The structure enhances the photonic collection efficiency, enabling cryogenic characterisation despite the limited numerical aperture imposed by our cryostat. Our device, with SiO2 above a silver reflector, allows us to perform spectroscopic characterisation at 16K and measure autocorrelation functions confirming single-photon emission (g2(0)<0.5). Through comparative studies of similar hybrid device configurations, we can move towards optimally engineered techniques for building and analysing quantum emitters in wafer-scale photonic environments.
Recommended citation: Vivekanand Tiwari, Zhaojin Liu, Hao-Cheng Weng, Krishna C Balram, John G Rarity, Soumen Mandal, Oliver A Williams, Gavin W Morley, Joe A Smith, Single photon emission from lithographically-positioned engineered nanodiamonds for cryogenic applications, arXiv:2508.06424 (2025).
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