Electron-phonon processes of the nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond

Abstract

Applications of the negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy center in diamond exploit the center's unique optical and spin properties, which at ambient temperature are predominately governed by electron-phonon interactions. Here, we investigate these interactions at ambient and elevated temperatures by observing the motional narrowing of the center's excited-state spin resonances. We determine that the center's Jahn-Teller dynamics are much slower than currently believed and that they do not solely account for the broadening of the center's optical resonance above cryogenic temperatures. We show that the inclusion of interactions with symmetric phonon modes can explain the observed broadening and resolve the current inconsistencies in the literature. However, our model also reveals unexpected features of the electron-phonon processes that coincide with other poorly understood vibronic features of the center and require further investigation.