Abstract
We present evidence of near-infrared photoluminescence (PL) signature of nitrogen vacancy centers in silicon carbide (SiC). This center exhibits an ground state spin similar to the center in diamond. We have performed photoluminescence excitation measurements at cryogenic temperature and demonstrated efficient photoexcitation of distinct photoluminescence from in -SiC. Furthermore, by correlating the energies of measured zero phonon lines (ZPLs) with theoretical values derived from hybrid density functional theory each of the ZPLs has been associated to the respective occupation of hexagonal and quasicubic lattice sites in close analogy to neutral divacancy centers in the same material. Finally, with the appropriate choice of excitation energy we demonstrated the selective excitation of PL with no contamination by PL, thereby opening the way towards the optical detection of electron spin resonance.
- Received 6 June 2016
- Revised 18 July 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.94.060102
©2016 American Physical Society