Measurement of the full stress tensor in a crystal using photoluminescence from point defects: The example of nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond
Abstract
We introduce a method for measuring the full stress tensor in a crystal utilising the properties of individual point defects. By measuring the perturbation to the electronic states of three point defects with C3v symmetry in a cubic crystal, sufficient information is obtained to construct all six independent components of the symmetric stress tensor. We demonstrate the method using photoluminescence from nitrogen-vacancy colour centers in diamond. The method breaks the inverse relationship between spatial resolution and sensitivity that is inherent to existing bulk strain measurement techniques, and thus, offers a route to nanoscale strain mapping in diamond and other materials in which individual point defects can be interrogated.
- Publication:
-
Applied Physics Letters
- Pub Date:
- September 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.4819834
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1110.3658
- Bibcode:
- 2013ApPhL.103j1905G
- Keywords:
-
- crystal symmetry;
- diamond;
- nitrogen;
- perturbation theory;
- photoluminescence;
- sensitivity;
- stress-strain relations;
- tensors;
- vacancies (crystal);
- V-centres;
- 78.55.Hx;
- 81.40.Jj;
- 61.72.jd;
- 61.72.jn;
- 62.20.F-;
- 81.05.ug;
- Other solid inorganic materials;
- Elasticity and anelasticity stress-strain relations;
- Vacancies;
- Color centers;
- Deformation and plasticity;
- Condensed Matter - Materials Science;
- Physics - Optics
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, 5 figures - supplementary informations included in appendix