Optical and Strain Stabilization of Point Defects in Silicon Carbide

The photoluminescence and spin properties of ensembles of color centers in silicon carbide are enhanced by fabricating optically isolated slab waveguide structures and carefully controlling annealing and quenching conditions thereafter. We show that the photoluminescence signal of an ensemble of implanted defects is enhanced in slab waveguides by an order of magnitude over identically implanted bulk defects. We use the enhanced photoluminescence of several defect species to study recombination and diffusion in the presence of thermal annealing with both rapid cooling and a longer return to ambient conditions. The confined mechanical geometry of the thin film is exploited to measure the spin-strain coupling of the negatively charged silicon monovacancy. The methods in this work can be used to exercise greater control on near-surface emitters in silicon carbide and better understand and control the effects of strain on spin measurements of the color centers.