Single Defect Center Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy on Graphene

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates high-resolution near-field optical microscopy using a single nitrogen-vacancy center to image graphene, revealing energy transfer properties and paving the way for a new type of scanning microscope.

Contribution

It introduces a novel scanning microscopy technique utilizing a single defect center for high-resolution imaging of graphene structures.

Findings

Achieved few nanometer resolution images of graphene structures.

Measured 30% energy transfer efficiency at 10nm distance.

Confirmed the predicted d-4 dependence of energy transfer distance.

Abstract

We demonstrate high resolution scanning fluorescence resonance energy transfer 10 microscopy between a single nitrogen-vacancy center as donor and graphene as acceptor. 11 Images with few nanometer resolution of single and multilayer graphene structures were 12 attained. An energy transfer efficiency of 30% at distances of 10nm between a single 13 defect and graphene was measured. Further the energy transfer distance dependence of 14 the nitrogen-vacancy center to graphene was measured to show the predicted d-4 15 dependence. Our studies pave the way towards a diamond defect center based versatile 16 single emitter scanning microscope.