Harnessing the Diamond-Air Interface as an Efficient Photon Antenna for Solid-State Emitters

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Hauptverfasser: Weinbrenner, Paul, Benet, Aina Lopez, Gözel, İdil, Reinhard, Friedemann
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Weinbrenner, Paul
Benet, Aina Lopez
Gözel, İdil
Reinhard, Friedemann
author_facet Weinbrenner, Paul
Benet, Aina Lopez
Gözel, İdil
Reinhard, Friedemann
contents Extracting photons from defect centers is challenging due to the high refractive index of typical substrates. For nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, reaching saturation count rates above $2.5\times10^5\,\mathrm{counts}/\mathrm{s}$ so far requires nanofabricated optics like diamond waveguides or solid immersion lenses. Here we present an experimental and theoretical study of defect center emission at unmodified planar dielectric surfaces by quantitative back focal plane imaging and analytical modeling. Our results indicate that photon count rates approaching those of nanofabricated optics can also be achieved by oil-immersion optics. This is due to a dielectric antenna effect which directs the majority of the emission into the substrate within a narrow angle window suitable for back-side collection. By quantifying the collection efficiency of back-side detection, our work also enables a novel measurement method for the quantum efficiency of shallow defect centers. Its result challenges established values. Possible reasons for the discrepancy are discussed.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_26071
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Harnessing the Diamond-Air Interface as an Efficient Photon Antenna for Solid-State Emitters
Weinbrenner, Paul
Benet, Aina Lopez
Gözel, İdil
Reinhard, Friedemann
Optics
Quantum Physics
Extracting photons from defect centers is challenging due to the high refractive index of typical substrates. For nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond, reaching saturation count rates above $2.5\times10^5\,\mathrm{counts}/\mathrm{s}$ so far requires nanofabricated optics like diamond waveguides or solid immersion lenses. Here we present an experimental and theoretical study of defect center emission at unmodified planar dielectric surfaces by quantitative back focal plane imaging and analytical modeling. Our results indicate that photon count rates approaching those of nanofabricated optics can also be achieved by oil-immersion optics. This is due to a dielectric antenna effect which directs the majority of the emission into the substrate within a narrow angle window suitable for back-side collection. By quantifying the collection efficiency of back-side detection, our work also enables a novel measurement method for the quantum efficiency of shallow defect centers. Its result challenges established values. Possible reasons for the discrepancy are discussed.
title Harnessing the Diamond-Air Interface as an Efficient Photon Antenna for Solid-State Emitters
topic Optics
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.26071