Color centers in diamond for quantum photonics

Abstract

In the late 1980s two pioneering works demonstrating the detection of single molecules laid the ground for a new research field. W. E. Moerner and L. Kador measured the absorption spectrum of a single pentacene molecule by double-modulation technique, and M. Orrit and J. Bernard detected the same single molecule by the fluorescent-excitation method. The latter became routinely used not only in single-molecule spectroscopy but also for different types of single impurities in solids, particularly for color centers in diamond. Many of them possess electron spin whose state can be precisely controlled and read out. Consequently, they represent captivating quantum objects that can be used for rapidly developing quantum technology. This chapter delves into an exploration of the most extensively studied color centers in diamond, shedding light on their properties and potential applications.