Growing Perfect Diamond Thin Films for Sensing and Quantum Computing Applications
Abstract
Quantum Materials have promise to meet technological challenges of the Navy. These include development of secure communications and, sensing of magnetic perturbations. Color centers in diamond are amongst the most promising and studied quantum systems. The outstan,ding optical and spin properties of the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color center are well documented. A quantum repeater consisting of a d,iamond silicon vacancy in a nanocavity interface has been demonstrated. The quantum repeater is the fundamental building block of a, quantum network. Investment in infrastructure to produce high quality diamond and further advance the field is essential. We are mo,tivated to contributed to the field as partners in the Center for Integrated Quantum Materials and the Center for Quantum Networks., The ability to grow high quality, well characterized diamond will be a benefit to the research community. We will purchase a microw,ave plasma enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond growth reactors (MPCVD) to study the growth of high-quality single cryst,al diamond. Based at Howard University, we will investigate how to produce ultra-pure single crystal diamond thin films, thus provid,ing training for students in the techniques and general skills required for crystal growth, and also providing material for other re,search efforts. Concurrently and synergistically, the Howard University group will travel Brookhaven National Labs with a modified s,econd reactor and utilize the high brightness x-ray source available at the NSLS-II synchrotron, in collaboration with BNL scientist,s. The high flux of x-rays available at NSLS-II allows one to study in real time the structure of the growing surface and the crysta,lline quality of the thin film that is grown. As a result, the structural questions that arise in the Howard based growth tool can b,e addressed at the synchrotron, and similarly materials grown with the synchrotron tool can be characterized for electrical and devi,ce related properties at Howard. The ability to study the diamond film while it is growing in-situ, provides a powerful new tool whi,ch, to our knowledge, no other diamond growth group in the world has access to. This gives us confidence that novel science and tech,nology will result from this project, and will be of benefit to the Department of Defense mission needs. The ultimate aim will be to, provide high quality diamond to the quantum research community at Howard, to our research partners and broadly. The team of researc,hers comprises at Howard, Dr. Samaresh Guchhait and Dr. Pratibha Dev (experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics respecti,vely) Dr. Tina Brower Thomas (Materials Chemist, Assistant Research Professor and Executive Director and Education Director, NSF Sci,ence and Technology Center, Center for Integrated Quantum Materials [CIQM]and Researcher and Diversity Director Center for Quantum N,etworks [NSF funded Engineering Research Center CQN]), Philip Kurian Theoretical Physics, Founding Director Quantum Biology Lab, and, at Brookhaven National Lab (BNL), Dr. Kenneth Evans-Lutterodt who is a beamline scientist at the National Synchrotron Light Source
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 06, 2022
- Source ID
- N000142312017
Entities
People
- Tina L. Brower-Thomas
Organizations
- Howard University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy