J. Forneris

Beating the Abbe diffraction limit in confocal microscopy via nonclassical photon statistics.

We experimentally demonstrate quantum enhanced resolution in confocal fluorescence microscopy exploiting the nonclassical photon statistics of single nitrogen-vacancy color centers in diamond. By developing a general model of superresolution based on the direct sampling of the kth-order autocorrelation function of the photoluminescence signal, we show the possibility to resolve, in principle, arbitrarily close emitting centers.

Electrical stimulation of non-classical photon emission from diamond color centers by means of sub-superficial graphitic electrodes.

Focused MeV ion beams with micrometric resolution are suitable tools for the direct writing of conductive graphitic channels buried in an insulating diamond bulk, as already demonstrated for different device applications. In this work we apply this fabrication method to the electrical excitation of color centers in diamond, demonstrating the potential of electrical stimulation in diamond-based single-photon sources. Differently from optically-stimulated light emission from color centers in diamond, electroluminescence (EL) requires a high current flowing in the diamond subgap states between the electrodes. With this purpose, buried graphitic electrode pairs, 10 μm spaced, were fabricated in the bulk of a single-crystal diamond sample using a 6 MeV C microbeam. The electrical characterization of the structure showed a significant current injection above an effective voltage threshold of 150 V, which enabled the stimulation of a stable EL emission. The EL imaging allowed to identify the electroluminescent regions and the residual vacancy distribution associated with the fabrication technique. Measurements evidenced isolated electroluminescent spots where non-classical light emission in the 560–700 nm spectral range was observed. The spectral and auto-correlation features of the EL emission were investigated to qualify the non-classical properties of the color centers.

Development and Characterization of a Diamond-Insulated Graphitic Multi Electrode Array Realized with Ion Beam Lithography

The detection of quantal exocytic events from neurons and neuroendocrine cells is a challenging task in neuroscience. One of the most promising platforms for the development of a new generation of biosensors is diamond, due to its biocompatibility, transparency and chemical inertness. Moreover, the electrical properties of diamond can be turned from a perfect insulator into a conductive material (resistivity ∼mΩ·cm) by exploiting the metastable nature of this allotropic form of carbon. A 16-channels MEA (Multi Electrode Array) suitable for cell culture growing has been fabricated by means of ion implantation. A focused 1.2 MeV He+ beam was scanned on a IIa single-crystal diamond sample (4.5 × 4.5 × 0.5 mm3) to cause highly damaged sub-superficial structures that were defined with micrometric spatial resolution. After implantation, the sample was annealed. This process provides the conversion of the sub-superficial highly damaged regions to a graphitic phase embedded in a highly insulating diamond matrix. Thanks to a three-dimensional masking technique, the endpoints of the sub-superficial channels emerge in contact with the sample surface, therefore being available as sensing electrodes. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry measurements of solutions with increasing concentrations of adrenaline were performed to characterize the biosensor sensitivity. The reported results demonstrate that this new type of biosensor is suitable for in vitro detection of catecholamine release.

Defect enhanced funneling of diffusion current in silicon

We report a current transport mechanism observed during electrochemical anodization of ion irradiated p-type silicon, in which a hole diffusion current is highly funneled along the gradient of modified doping profile towards the maximum ion induced defect density, dominating the total current flowing and hence the anodization behaviour. This study is characterized within the context of electrochemical anodization but relevant to other fields where any residual defect density may result in similar effects, which may adversely affect performance, such as in wafer gettering or satellite-based microelectronics. Increased photoluminescence intensity from localized buried regions of porous silicon is also shown.

Single-Photon-Emitting Optical Centers in Diamond Fabricated upon Sn Implantation

The fabrication of luminescent defects in single-crystal diamond upon Sn implantation and annealing is reported. The relevant spectral features of the optical centers (emission peaks at 593.5, 620.3, 630.7, and 646.7 nm) are attributed to Sn-related defects through the correlation of their photoluminescence (PL) intensity with the implantation fluence. Single Sn-related defects were identified and characterized through the acquisition of their second-order autocorrelation emission functions, by means of Hanbury-Brown and Twiss interferometry. The investigation of their single-photon emission regime as a function of excitation laser power revealed that Sn-related defects are based on three-level systems with a 6 ns radiative decay lifetime. In a fraction of the studied centers, the observation of a blinking PL emission is indicative of the existence of a dark state. Furthermore, absorption dependence on the polarization of the excitation radiation with ∼45% contrast was measured. This work shed light on th...

A 3-dimensional interdigitated electrode geometry for the enhancement of charge collection efficiency in diamond detectors

In this work, a single crystal CVD diamond film with a novel three-dimensional (3D) interdigitated electrode geometry has been fabricated with the reactive ion etching (RIE) technique in order to increase the charge collection efficiency (CCE) with respect to that obtained by standard superficial electrodes. The geometrical arrangement of the electric field lines due to the 3D patterning of the electrodes results in a shorter travel path for the excess charge carriers, thus contributing to a more efficient charge collection mechanism. The CCE of the device was mapped by means of the ion beam induced charge (IBIC) technique. A 1 MeV proton micro- beam was raster-scanned over the active area of the diamond detector under different bias voltage conditions, enabling to probe the charge transport properties of the detector up to a depth of 8µm below the sample surface. The experimental results, supported by the numerical simulations, show a significant improvement in the 3D detector performance (i.e. CCE, energy resolution, extension of the active area) if compared with the results obtained by standard surface metallic electrodes.

Nanodiamonds-induced effects on neuronal firing of mouse hippocampal microcircuits

Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FND) are carbon-based nanomaterials that can efficiently incorporate optically active photoluminescent centers such as the nitrogen-vacancy complex, thus making them promising candidates as optical biolabels and drug-delivery agents. FNDs exhibit bright fluorescence without photobleaching combined with high uptake rate and low cytotoxicity. Focusing on FNDs interference with neuronal function, here we examined their effect on cultured hippocampal neurons, monitoring the whole network development as well as the electrophysiological properties of single neurons. We observed that FNDs drastically decreased the frequency of inhibitory (from 1.81 Hz to 0.86 Hz) and excitatory (from 1.61 to 0.68 Hz) miniature postsynaptic currents, and consistently reduced action potential (AP) firing frequency (by 36%), as measured by microelectrode arrays. On the contrary, bursts synchronization was preserved, as well as the amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory and excitatory events. Current-clamp recordings revealed that the ratio of neurons responding with AP trains of high-frequency (fast-spiking) versus neurons responding with trains of low-frequency (slow-spiking) was unaltered, suggesting that FNDs exerted a comparable action on neuronal subpopulations. At the single cell level, rapid onset of the somatic AP (“kink”) was drastically reduced in FND-treated neurons, suggesting a reduced contribution of axonal and dendritic components while preserving neuronal excitability.

Direct experimental observation of nonclassicality in ensembles of single-photon emitters

In this work we experimentally demonstrate a recently proposed criterion addressed to detect nonclassical behavior in the fluorescence emission of ensembles of single-photon emitters. In particular, we apply the method to study clusters of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond characterized with single-photon-sensitive confocal microscopy. Theoretical considerations on the behavior of the parameter at any arbitrary order in the presence of Poissonian noise are presented and, finally, the opportunity of detecting manifold coincidences is discussed.

Characterization of the recovery of mechanical properties of ion-implanted diamond after thermal annealing

Abstract Due to their outstanding mechanical properties, diamond and diamond-like materials find significant technological applications ranging from well-established industrial fields (cutting tools, coatings, etc.) to more advanced mechanical devices as micro- and nano-electromechanical systems. The use of energetic ions is a powerful and versatile tool to fabricate three-dimensional micro-mechanical structures. In this context, it is of paramount importance to have an accurate knowledge of the effects of ion-induced structural damage on the mechanical properties of this material, primarily to predict potential undesired side-effects of the ion implantation process, and possibly to tailor the desired mechanical properties of the fabricated devices. We present an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) characterization of free-standing cantilevers in single-crystal diamond obtained by a FIB-assisted lift-off technique, which allows the determination of the Youngs modulus of the diamond crystal after the MeV ion irradiation process concurrent to the fabrication of the microstructures, and subsequent thermal annealing. The AFM measurements were performed with the beam-bending technique and show that the thermal annealing process allows for an effective recovery of the mechanical properties of the pristine crystal.

Single-photon emitters based on NIR color centers in diamond coupled with solid immersion lenses

Single-photon sources represent a key enabling technology in quantum optics, and single color centers in diamond are a promising platform to serve this purpose, due to their high quantum efficiency and photostability at room temperature. The widely studied nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers are characterized by several limitations, thus other defects have recently been considered, with a specific focus of centers emitting in the near-infra red (NIR). In the present work, we report on the coupling of native NIR-emitting centers in high-quality single-crystal diamond with solid immersion lens (SIL) structures fabricated by focused ion beam (FIB) lithography. The reported improvements in terms of light collection efficiency make the proposed system an ideal platform for the development of single-photon emitters with appealing photophysical and spectral properties.