Research Projects

Lattice defects that create color centers are common in a variety of crystalline diamond materials ranging from molecular sized diamonds present in asteroids to chemically synthesized nano, micro and macro sized diamonds. Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) defects are crystalline imperfections in diamond lattice, comprising a nitrogen atom substituting a carbon lattice site that is bound to an adjacent vacant lattice site. The NV defect in diamond is a luminescent color-center that absorbs in the wavelength range of 460–600 nm and potential to perform many of the applications such as electric or magnetic field sensors, quantum memory and single photon emitters. To be suitable for practical applications, the NV centers in nanodiamond (NDs) should be of high quality, high density and better coherence time, which varies with size, purity, and other defects in NDs. These requirements are exclusively depending on the preparation methods. However, the conventional methods such as ion-implantation, annealing, irradiation and CVD of creating NV centers require high growth temperature (~800ºC), maximum utility requirements, and significantly high capital costs, which decrease NV centered diamond’s wide-spread commercial potential. Furthermore, applications based on color centers demand homogeneous distributions of dopant impurities, which remain a consistent limitation of these conventional methods. The current project aims (i) to create NV centers in NDs at ambient conditions using a direct, practicable, safe and cost-effective novel atmospheric pressure microplasma process using liquid precursors. (ii) to investigate the morphology, microstructure, grain growth, quality and quantity of NV centers in NDs. Based on the acquired insights, the modern approach to the exploitation of a novel synthesis process of creating NV centers in NDs is challenging but has the potential to trigger a revolution in diamond color centers. In stating, I, the principal investigator of this proposal, base myself on the breadth of experience I gained in the field of diamond and plasma-which I can capitalize on and thus significantly expedite the creation of NV centers in NDs using microplasma under ambient conditions.