Efficient creation of shallow NV${}^{-}$ ensembles by high-angle ion implantation

Abstract

Negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV${}^{-}$) centers located a few nanometers below the diamond surface are key quantum defects for nanoscale sensing of external spins. However, the creation of shallow NV${}^{-}$ centers with high yield remains a materials challenge. Here, we demonstrate that high-angle ion implantation enhances the creation efficiency of shallow NV${}^{-}$ centers. By implanting ${}^{15}$N ions at angles exceeding 60${}^{\circ }$, we achieve high NV${}^{-}$ yields approaching 10% with effective NV${}^{-}$ depths below 10 nm. These yields are significantly higher than those typically reported for shallow NV${}^{-}$ creation. The enhanced NV${}^{-}$ yield is consistent with an increased vacancy-to-nitrogen ratio in the near-surface region, which is expected to promote NV formation during annealing. The created NV${}^{-}$ ensembles show coherence properties comparable to those of single shallow NV${}^{-}$ centers at similar depths, and allow detection of nuclear spins in van der Waals materials attached to the diamond surface. Our results establish geometric control of ion implantation as a simple and broadly applicable approach to engineer shallow vacancy-related quantum defects.

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