Single Si - V− Centers in Low-Strain Nanodiamonds with Bulklike Spectral Properties and Nanomanipulation Capabilities

The Si-${V}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ center in diamond has emerged as an excellent single-photon source with outstanding properties for photonics and quantum information processing. Here surface-treatment techniques enable researchers to obtain single Si-${V}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ centers with bulklike spectral properties in nanodiamonds. The authors resolve the fine structure of individual Si-${V}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ centers in low-strain nanodiamonds, formulate an analytical strain model for this center, and experimentally find the strain coefficients. They also explore the potential for bottom-up assembly of complex quantum systems, using cantilever nanomanipulation to achieve efficient positioning, rotation, and declustering of nanodiamonds.