Distributed Nanocrystal Arrays for Quantum Electronics and Sensing

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Title: Distributed Nanocrystal Arrays for Quantum Electronics and SensingAbstract:This award is to explore fundamental science and engineering for processing diamond crystals for applications in quantum computing, encryption, biolabeling and transduction, and magnetic field sensing. Especially, diamond containing nitrogen impurity creates nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect centers, which can be controlled by microwave, laser signal and electric field for use in quantum electronics, medicine, national security, and defense. Some of these applications require small size diamond crystals containing preferably only one type of defects that are arranged into isolated diamond crystal arrays for greatest sensitivity, individual addressability and applicability. The objectives are to process isolated diamond crystal arrays with these attributes for demonstrating selective addressability, ease in read-write capability, and enhanced signals from associated quantum phenomena for quantum electronics and magnetic field sensing. In addition, the project provides education and training to graduate and undergraduate students towards workforce development and careers in academia or industry. The research findings are disseminated to the scientific community and expected to have significant impacts on several national initiatives such as advanced nanotechnology, quantum information sciences, optoelectronics, medicine, and national security.The scientific and technical aims of the research program are aimed to (1) develop a fundamental research on processing of isolated diamond crystal arrays of high crystal quality containing oriented NV centers created through understanding of the roles of in situ doping by nitrogen, diamond nucleation and growth mechanisms, substrate orientation, and applied electric and magnetic field during processing using Microwave Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPECV, (2) characterize quantitatively the spin state addressability based on changes to optical emission upon exposure of crystals to microwave and laser light, and (3) study the quantum phenomena and magnetic field sensing using NV centers in isolated diamond crystal arrays. These efforts are expected to significantly contribute towards advancement of future quantum-based computers and solid-state magnetic field sensors. The proposed research is also expected to widely contribute to several STEM disciplines encompassing engineering, medicine , physics and chemistry. "This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.