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Main Author: Martirez, John Mark P.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.20073
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author Martirez, John Mark P.
author_facet Martirez, John Mark P.
contents The ST1 diamond color center was experimentally demonstrated to involve a substitutional oxygen atom (O$_C$) and carbon vacancy (V$_C$), has a spin singlet ground-state, and a metastable electron spin ancilla: a triplet. ST1's structure was left unsolved for more than a decade. With embedded multiconfigurational quantum mechanical theory, we investigate O$_C$-V$_C$-derived diamond defects, specifically both 0 and +2-charged coupled O$_C$V$_C$, and O$_C$ surrounded by V$_C$s along the [110] axis (V$_C$O$_C$V$_C$). We found both O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$ (C$_{3v}$) and V$_C$O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$ (C$_{2v}$) to have a spin-singlet ground state (1$^1$A$_1$) and metastable spin triplets. We demonstrate ST1 to be V$_C$O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$. The calculated vertical excitation energies of V$_C$O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$'s first (1$^1$B$_2$) and second (2$^1$A$_1$) bright spin-singlet excited states closely match ST1's experimental zero phonon line (2.2-2.3 eV). O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$ ($^1$E) absorbs much higher (2.8 eV). The two O lone pairs favor V$_C$O$_C$V$_C$ over O$_C$V$_C$, in a similar manner as the single N lone pair favors formation of N$_C$V$_C$ centers.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_20073
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Bright oxygen- and vacancy-derived spin-singlet diamond color centers with metastable spin triplets: OV$^{2+}$ and VOV$^{2+}$
Martirez, John Mark P.
Quantum Physics
Materials Science
Strongly Correlated Electrons
The ST1 diamond color center was experimentally demonstrated to involve a substitutional oxygen atom (O$_C$) and carbon vacancy (V$_C$), has a spin singlet ground-state, and a metastable electron spin ancilla: a triplet. ST1's structure was left unsolved for more than a decade. With embedded multiconfigurational quantum mechanical theory, we investigate O$_C$-V$_C$-derived diamond defects, specifically both 0 and +2-charged coupled O$_C$V$_C$, and O$_C$ surrounded by V$_C$s along the [110] axis (V$_C$O$_C$V$_C$). We found both O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$ (C$_{3v}$) and V$_C$O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$ (C$_{2v}$) to have a spin-singlet ground state (1$^1$A$_1$) and metastable spin triplets. We demonstrate ST1 to be V$_C$O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$. The calculated vertical excitation energies of V$_C$O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$'s first (1$^1$B$_2$) and second (2$^1$A$_1$) bright spin-singlet excited states closely match ST1's experimental zero phonon line (2.2-2.3 eV). O$_C$V$_{C}^{2+}$ ($^1$E) absorbs much higher (2.8 eV). The two O lone pairs favor V$_C$O$_C$V$_C$ over O$_C$V$_C$, in a similar manner as the single N lone pair favors formation of N$_C$V$_C$ centers.
title Bright oxygen- and vacancy-derived spin-singlet diamond color centers with metastable spin triplets: OV$^{2+}$ and VOV$^{2+}$
topic Quantum Physics
Materials Science
Strongly Correlated Electrons
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.20073