Determining the Dependence of Single Nitrogen−Vacancy Center Light Extraction in Diamond Nanostructures on Emitter Positions with Finite−Difference Time−Domain Simulations

Abstract

In this study, we obtained a diamond nanocone structure using the thermal annealing method, which was proposed in our previous work. Using finite–difference time–domain (FDTD) simulations, we demonstrate that the extraction efficiencies of nitrogen–vacancy (NV) center emitters in nanostructures are dependent on the geometries of the nanocone/nanopillar, emitter polarizations and axis depths. Our results show that nanocones and nanopillars have advantages in extraction from emitter dipoles with s− and p−polarizations, respectively. In our simulations, the best results of collection efficiency were achieved from the emitter in a nanocone with s−polarization (57.96%) and the emitter in a nanopillar with p−polarization (38.40%). Compared with the nanopillar, the photon extraction efficiency of the emitters in the nanocone is more sensitive to the depth and polarization angle. The coupling differences between emitters and the nanocone/nanopillar are explained by the evolution of photon propagation modes and the internal reflection effects in diamond nanostructures. Our results could have positive impacts on the design and fabrication of NV center−based micro− and nano−optics in the future.

Keywords

• nitrogen−vacancy center
• nanocones
• emission efficiency
• FDTD simulations
• single−crystal diamond