Optical and spin properties of nitrogen vacancy centers formed along the tracks of high energy heavy ions

Exposure of nitrogen doped diamond to high energy, heavy ions induces formation of vacancy related color centers aligned along the trajectories of the ions. Quasi 1D chains of coupled NV centers with lengths of a few tens of microns can be building blocks for quantum information processing and they provide insights into harsh radiation-matter interactions. Here, we report on color center formation in diamond (1 ppm nitrogen) with 1 GeV gold and uranium ions. Using depth-resolved photoluminescence, we observe direct formation of single vacancy related color centers (GR1 centers) along the ion tracks. Mobile vacancies can form NV-centers with native nitrogen atoms during thermal annealing. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that both isolated vacancies and defect clusters form along ion trajectory through electronic stopping processes, leading to broad color center profiles that range from the sample surface to a depth of about 25 microns. We quantify the spin properties of NV-centers formed by swift heavy ions through optical detection of magnetic resonance (ODMR) and validate the feasibility of using swift-heavy-ion-generated NV^- along quasi 1D chains (for isolated tracks from low fluence irradiations) or in thin sheets of coupled 1D spin chains (formed with higher ion fluences) for NV-based magnetometry and for the exploration of quasi 1D and 2D spin textures in diamond.