Generation of Spin Defects by Ion Implantation in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Abstract

Optically addressable spin defects in wide-band-gap semiconductors as promising systems for quantum information and sensing applications have recently attracted increased attention. Spin defects in two-dimensional materials are expected to show superiority in quantum sensing due to their atomic thickness. Here, we demonstrate that an ensemble of negatively charged boron vacancies (VB-) with good spin properties in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) can be generated by ion implantation. We carry out optically detected magnetic resonance measurements at room temperature to characterize the spin properties of ensembles of VB- defects, showing a zero-field splitting frequency of ∼3.47 GHz. We compare the photoluminescence intensity and spin properties of VB- defects generated using different implantation parameters, such as fluence, energy, and ion species. With the use of the proper parameters, we can successfully create VB- defects with a high probability. Our results provide a simple and practicable method to create spin defects in hBN, which is of great significance for realizing integrated hBN-based devices.