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The NV center in diamond has been used extensively in sensing; however single shot readout of its spin remains challenging, requiring complex optical setups. Here, Irber et al. demonstrate a more robust scheme that achieves single-shot readout even when using inefficient detection optics.

A systematic photoluminescence (PL) investigation of the spectral emission properties of individual optical defects fabricated in diamond upon ion implantation and annealing is reported. Three spectral lines at 620, 631, and 647 nm are identified and attributed to the SnV center due to their occurrence in the PL spectra of the very same single‐photon emitting defects. It is shown that the relative occurrence of the three spectral features can be modified by oxidizing the sample surface following thermal annealing. The relevant emission properties of each class of individual emitters, including the excited state emission lifetime and the emission intensity saturation parameters are reported.

Nitrogen vacancy centres occur naturally in diamond and have potential uses in quantum computing but many applications require scalable, accurate fabrication methods. Here the authors demonstrate that tuning the doping modifies the dynamics of centre formation, increasing yields and coherence times.

We report on the systematic characterization of the optical properties of diamond color centers based on Pb impurities. An ensemble photoluminescence analysis of their spectral emission was performed at different excitation wavelengths in the 405–520 nm range and at different temperatures in the 4–300 K range. The series of observed spectral features consist of different emission lines associated with Pb-related defects. Finally, a room-temperature investigation of single-photon emitters under 490.5 nm laser excitation is reported, revealing different spectral signatures with respect to those already reported under 514 nm excitation. This work represents a substantial progress with respect to previous studies on Pb-related color centers, both in the attribution of an articulated series of spectral features and in the understanding of the formation process of this type of defect, thus clarifying the potential of this system for high-impact applications in quantum technologies.