Diamond particles as nanoantennas for nitrogen-vacancy color centers

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that diamond nanoparticles act as dielectric nanoantennas, explaining the unique photoluminescence properties of nitrogen-vacancy centers, including fluctuations and resolution limits in microscopy.

Contribution

It introduces a model where diamond nanoparticles serve as nanoantennas, providing a quantitative understanding of NV center photoluminescence behaviors.

Findings

Diamond nanoparticles influence NV center emission properties.

Particle size affects fluorescence fluctuations and microscopy resolution.

Nanoantenna behavior explains observed photoluminescence phenomena.

Abstract

The photoluminescence of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond nanoparticles exhibits specific properties as compared to NV centers in bulk diamond. For instance large fluctuations of lifetime and brightness from particle to particle have been reported. It has also been observed that for nanocrystals much smaller than the mean luminescence wavelength, the particle size sets a lower threshold for resolution in Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy. We show that all these features can be quantitatively understood by realizing that the absorption-emission of light by the NV center is mediated by the diamond nanoparticle which behaves as a dielectric nanoantenna.