Pure Diamond Research Articles

Microdrill with variations in thickness of diamond coating

In this study, microcrystalline diamond films with varied thicknesses (1·2, 2·5, 4 and 7 μm) are deposited on flat samples and microdrills. The Raman results show that the top layer of thicker diamond films on flat samples exhibit relatively lower compressive residual stress and favourable diamond purity. However, with increased thickness, the multiple radial and diagonal microcracks along with significant diamond coating detachment are easier to be formed in thicker diamond coatings. These results can be applied for analysing the mechanisms on the coating delamination for the thicker diamond coatings and the worse wear resistance for the thinner ones deposited on microdrills during graphite machining processes. The microcrystalline diamond coated microdrill with 2·5 μm coating thickness reveals the best cutting performance due to its robust rigidity for preventing the detachment of diamond films as well as the relatively good wear resistance.

Photoluminescence Studies of Both the Neutral and Negatively Charged Nitrogen-Vacancy Center in Diamond.

In this study low temperature micro-photoluminescence technology was employed to investigate effects of the irradiation and nitrogen concentration on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) luminescence, with the photochromic and vibronic properties of the NV defects. Results showed that the NV luminescence was weakened due to recombination of self-interstitials created by electron irradiation in diamond and the vacancies within the structure of NV centers. For very pure diamond, the vacancies migrated the long distance to get trapped by N atoms only after sufficient high temperature annealing. As with the increase in nitrogen content, the migration distance of vacancies got smaller. The nitrogen also favored the formation of negatively charged NV centers with the donating electrons. Under the high-energy ultraviolet laser excitation, the photochromic property of the NV- center was also observed, though it was not stable. Besides, the NV centers showed very strong broad sidebands, and the vibrations involved one phonon with energy of ~42 meV and another with ~67 meV energy.

Research on mechanism of carbon transformation in the preparation of polycrystalline diamond by melt infiltration and growth method under high pressures

Recently, a variety of carbon materials can be turned into pure polycrystalline diamond directly without any additives under extreme high pressures and high temperatures (pressure above 13 GPa and temperature above 2000 ℃). Polycrystalline diamond shows a broad application prospect because of its superior performance. However, it is difficult to realize the industrialization of pure polycrystalline diamond on current high pressure equipment due to the high synthetic conditions. The focus of our work is that the synthesis of pure polycrystalline diamond can be realized in the same synthesis range of single diamond produced from the solvent metal (pressure below 6 GPa and temperature below 1500 ℃). The carbon materials can precipitate from the solution in a form of diamond, and fill into the gaps between the diamond particles. According to some domestic scholars' researches on polycrystalline diamond, the solvent method can reduce the high temperature and high pressure conditions on which carbon may transform into diamond directly, and precipitate from the solution in the form of diamond into the gaps between diamond particles. Through a deep study of the approach, the low addition content, even pure polycrystalline diamond without gaps can be prepared. In this paper we have prepared pure polycrystalline diamonds under relatively lower conditions (the pressure being below 6 GPa and the temperature below 1500 ℃) by the method that the metal solution layer infiltrates into the gaps between the pure diamond particles and then the diamond particles will grow up. We also carry out a research on the mechanism of carbon transformation in the preparation of polycrystalline diamond. Compared with the traditional method of powder mixing technology, the melt infiltration and growth method is more advantageous to prepare high abrasive resistance and high density pure polycrystalline diamond.In order to prepare pure flawless polycrystalline diamonds without additives by China-type large volume cubic high-pressure apparatus (CHPA) (SPD-61200), we study thoroughly on the melt infiltration and growth method under high pressures; and this provides a theoretical guidance for pure polycrystalline diamond synthesis. In this paper, polycrystalline diamond is prepared by melt infiltration and growth method at pressures below 6 GPa and temperatures below 1500 ℃. Mechanism research of carbon transformation is made under high pressure and high temperature (HPHT). Through the analyses of optical microscope, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscope measurements, graphitization occurs on the surface of diamond in the procedure of metal solution infiltrating, and then the generated graphite quickly change into diamond-like carbon under HPHT. Meanwhile, the morphology of diamond particles changes distinctly in the syntheses process. From the analysis of experimental phenomena, carbon may undergo three transformations in the preparation: 1) graphite is generated due to the graphitization on the surface of diamond particles, which is caused by the metal solution infiltrating; 2) the generated graphite quickly fills into the gap with the form of diamond-like carbon during the sintering stage; 3) the diamond-like carbon is dissolved in a metal solution, and then precipitates between particles in the form of diamond. The mechanism research on carbon source transformation plays an important guiding role in the industrialization of no-additive, no-gap pure polycrystalline diamond preparation.

Diamond - towards a "one material" multi electrode array for neuronal recording

Event Abstract Back to Event Diamond - towards a "one material" multi electrode array for neuronal recording Paul A. Nistor1, 2, Paul W. May2 and Maeve A. Caldwell1 1 University of Bristol, Regenerative Medicine Laboratory, United Kingdom 2 University of Bristol, School of Chemistry, United Kingdom Introduction: Neuronal network activity can be investigated by in vitro neuronal recording, using Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs). The advent of MEAs opened the possibility of simultaneous recording from multiple interconnecting neurons. The efficiency of the method is however dependent on the duration for which the cells can be maintained viable and functional; usually this ranges from hours to a few days. One critical aspect concerns the incompatibility between metallic electrodes and the cells which generate an electrical signal. To address this, frequently, the electrodes are coated in “bio-friendly” materials. Thus, a separation is introduced between the cellular and electrical interface, with consequences on the resolution of signal, particularly important for low, synaptic, currents. Diamond is a material investigated as a possible interface material for neurons: it is biologically inert, it does not induce an immune response when implanted[1],[2] and it has been shown to be supportive for neuronal growth and differentiation[3],[4]. Furthermore, diamond, which is insulating when pure, can be made semiconductive by doping with electron acceptors or donors, one example being boron. We propose here a MEA which is fully biocompatible and for which the insulating and conductive parts are made from the same material: diamond. Material and Methods: Diamond films can be produced relatively inexpensively by the method of chemical vapour deposition. In this work, a thin (5 µm) film of conductive boron-doped diamond was deposited onto a synthetic pure diamond substrate. Conductive diamond electrodes were then revealed by selective laser etching of the boron-doped diamond layer. Human pluripotent stem cells were then differentiated onto diamond substrates, using a specifically developed protocol[5]. After 2-4 months, when these cells had formed mature neurons, the interaction with the diamond substrate was assessed. Results and Discussion: Neurons differentiated in vitro, from human pluripotent cells, can be maintained on our diamond substrates for many weeks without the loss of viability or function. No difference was observed in the supportive properties of boron-doped diamond versus diamond. Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed that the neurons interacted intimately with the substrate, both at the cell body and neurite level. This study represents a step towards the production of a fully biocompatible single material MEA for the in vitro study of neuronal network activity. Furthermore, we provide a platform for the investigation of artificial human neuronal networks, with the aim of challenging the “animal model” supremacy, which has dominated the neuronal electrophysiology studies for decades. Conclusion: We present here a novel diamond MEA for optimal neuronal electrical recording. We significantly increased the time cells can be maintained in culture, a fundamental prerequisite for the study of long-term neuronal plasticity. Furthermore, the neurons used are derived form human pluripotent cells, which can be sourced from patients and thus, amenable to targeted drug screening studies. Dr. James Smith (School of Chemistry) for outstanding technical support; Dr. Tilo Kunath (University of Edinburgh) for the kind gift of NAS2 hIPS cell line and advice; This research was supported by EPSRC grant numberP: EP/K002503/1

Deposition and thermal conductivity of diamond-like carbon film on a silicon substrate

Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) is thought to be a potential material in solving heat dissipation problems in light emitting diode module packages. It is of vital importance in evaluating the thermal conductivity of DLC film deposited on a silicon substrate. In this paper, the molecular dynamics method is used to simulate the formation of a DLC film by the deposition of carbon atoms on a isilicon substrate. Tersoff potential is adopted to reproduce the structures and densities of silicon, carbon, and SiC. A silicon substrate consisting of 544 atoms is located at the bottom of the simulation domain. The substrate is kept at a temperature of 600 K through a Noose-Hover thermostat. Carbon atoms are injected into the substrate individually every 0.5 ps at an energy of 1 eV. After a 7.5 ns deposition process, a 4 nm amorphous film containing 15000 carbon atoms is formed. Injected carbon atoms and substrate silicon atoms are intermixed at the bottom layer of the deposited film while the rest of the film contains only carbon atoms. The density of the film decreases slightly with the increase of the height of the deposited film and the average density is 2.8 g/cm3. Analysis of the coordination number shows that the sp3 fraction of carbon atoms in the film also decreases with the increase of the height of the deposited film, with a maximum value of 22%. It might be caused by the continuous impacts of the subsequently injected carbon atoms on the previously formed DLC film. The thermal conductivities of the DLC film in the planar and normal directions are calculated by the Green-Kubo method. The thermal conductivity of pure diamond film is also calculated for comparison. The results show that the planar thermal conductivity of the deposited DLC film is approximately half of that of the pure diamond film with the same size. It is higher than the normal thermal conductivity of the deposited film. The thermal conductivities of the DLC film in both planar and normal directions increase with the increase of film density and sp3 fraction in the DLC film. The results indicate that the local tetrahedral structure of sp3 carbon atoms contributes to the improvement of thermal conductivity in the DLC film.

Surface Brillouin Scattering in Ion-implanted Chemical Vapor Deposited Diamond

Acoustic waves occurring within an ion-damaged region of CVD diamond were studied using surface Brillouin scattering (SBS). By indirect scattering, the surface acoustic wave (SAW)-like mode of pure diamond, as well as those of carbon ion implanted diamonds to fluences of 1.0x1016 ions/cm2 and 1.5x1016 ions/cm2 were measured. Pristine diamond had a shear horizontal wave velocity of ≈12500 m/s and the irradiated diamonds showed a shear velocity of ≈12300 m/s. A necessary condition for observing Brillouin spectra via indirect scattering in a transparent medium is shown to be an optically smooth back surface.

High thermal conductivity diamond coated graphite by microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition

Diamond film was grown on high thermal conductivity graphite substrate using microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition method. Nanodiamond particles were uniformly seeded on the substrate to generate high nucleation density by a spray gun. The continuous and high purity diamond film was obtained, and growth rate was up to 2.7 μm h− 1. The thickness, surface morphology, quality and composite phase of the film were analysed by SEM, Raman and X-ray diffraction. It was shown that graphite coated with diamond presented a higher thermal conductivity (520 W m− 1 k− 1) than copper. Furthermore, this coated material with high thermal conductivity, good strength and non-conductive surface will make it possible to be widely used in thermal management field.

Residual stress measurement in DLC films deposited by PBIID method using Raman microprobe spectroscopy

Abstract Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were prepared and their residual stresses were measured nondestructively using Raman microprobe spectroscopy. The plasma-based ion implantation and deposition (PBIID) method was used to coat the DLC films on thin glass substrates using acetylene, a mixture of acetylene and toluene, or only toluene gas at 1.0 Pa. Peaks in the Raman spectra of the DLC films were assigned as the D′(disordered) or C–C bonding peaks at 1150 cm − 1 . The phonon deformation potentials ( a ′) of the films were estimated from data for the phonon deformation potentials for pure graphite and diamond and calculated using the sp 3 /sp 2 bonding ratio and the hydrogen content of the films. Thus, a relation was observed between the Raman shift of the G peak ( ω G ) and the residual stress ( σ c ) in each film. The Raman shifts ( ω 0 ) of the G peak for the films with no deformation were 1554, 1556, and 1562 cm − 1 for the films deposited using acetylene, a mixture gas and toluene gas. Moreover, only toluene had stress constants of − 0.378, − 0.384, and − 0.391 GPa/cm − 1 . The residual stresses constant in each film using (8.2 × 10 − 4 · a ′) − 1 ω 0 − 1 were estimated as − 0.379, − 0.384, and − 0.391 GPa/cm − 1 . The Raman shift of the D peak remained stationary as the compressive σ c in the films increased but changed when the deposition gas was varied. The distance the D peak moved from 1420 cm − 1 corresponded to that of the G peak from 1560 cm − 1 in the Raman spectra of the films in the stress-free state. In addition, the compressive residual stress in the DLC film had a major impact on the hardness.

Natural occurrence of pure nano-polycrystalline diamond from impact crater.

Consolidated bodies of polycrystalline diamond with grain sizes less than 100 nm, nano-polycrystalline diamond (NPD), has been experimentally produced by direct conversion of graphite at high pressure and high temperature. NPD has superior hardness, toughness and wear resistance to single-crystalline diamonds because of its peculiar nano-textures, and has been successfully used for industrial and scientific applications. Such sintered nanodiamonds have, however, not been found in natural mantle diamonds. Here we identified natural pure NPD, which was produced by a large meteoritic impact about 35 Ma ago in Russia. The impact diamonds consist of well-sintered equigranular nanocrystals (5–50 nm), similar to synthetic NPD, but with distinct [111] preferred orientation. They formed through the martensitic transformation from single-crystal graphite. Stress-induced local fragmentation of the source graphite and subsequent rapid transformation to diamond in the limited time scale result in multiple diamond nucleation and suppression of the overall grain growth, producing the unique nanocrystalline texture of natural NPD. A huge amount of natural NPD is expected to be present in the Popigai crater, which is potentially important for applications as novel ultra-hard material.

Diamond and cBN hybrid and nanomodified cutting tools with enhanced performance: Development, testing and modelling

Abstract The potential of enhancement of superhard steel and cast iron cutting tool performance on the basis of microstuctural modifications of the tool materials is studied. Hybrid machining tools with mixed diamond and cBN grains, as well as machining tool with composite nanomodified metallic binder are developed, and tested experimentally and numerically. It is demonstrated that both combination of diamond and cBN (hybrid structure) and nanomodification of metallic binder (with hexagonal boron nitride/hBN platelets) lead to sufficient improvement of the cast iron machining performance. The superhard tools with 25% of diamond replaced by cBN grains demonstrate 20% increased performance as compared with pure diamond machining tools, and more than two times higher performance as compared with pure cBN tools. Further, cast iron machining efficiency of the wheels modified by hBN particles was 80% more efficient compared to the tool with the original binder. Computational model of hybrid superhard tools is developed, and applied to the analysis of structure-performance relationships of the tools.

Dissociative adsorption of molecular deuterium and thermal stability onto hydrogenated, bare and ion beam damaged poly- and single crystalline diamond surfaces

In this work we report on dissociative adsorption of deuterium (D2) on bare, hydrogenated and ion beam bombarded polycrystalline and single crystalline diamond surfaces. Polycrystalline diamond films with an average grain size of ~300nm were deposited on silicon substrates by hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique from methane/hydrogen gas mixture. Deposited films were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to estimate the phase composition and microstructure. High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy and direct recoil spectrometry were used to study hydrogen (deuterium) bonding configuration of the upper surface region. Near surface amorphization was achieved by 1keV Ar+ implantation at ~1×1015ions/cm2 at room temperature (RT). As deposited and Ar+ bombarded films are annealed to 500–1000°C in ultra-high vacuum conditions and also under D2 partial pressure of 5×10−6Torr. For comparison, key experiments were repeated on the single crystal (100) diamond. Our results clearly show the preferential dissociative adsorption of D2 on low hybridized carbon (sp/sp2) states with activation temperature as low as RT, but with a lower thermal stability compared to pure diamond CD bonds.

Seasonal Variations of the Relative Optical Air Mass Function for Background Aerosol and Thin Cirrus Clouds at Arctic and Antarctic Sites

New calculations of the relative optical air mass function are made over the 0°–87° range of apparent solar zenith angle θ, for various vertical profiles of background aerosol, diamond dust and thin cirrus cloud particle extinction coefficient in the Arctic and Antarctic atmospheres. The calculations were carried out by following the Tomasi and Petkov (2014) procedure, in which the above-mentioned vertical profiles derived from lidar observations were used as weighting functions. Different sets of lidar measurements were examined, recorded using: (i) the Koldewey-Aerosol-Raman Lidar (KARL) system (AWI, Germany) at Ny-Ålesund (Spitsbergen, Svalbard) in January, April, July and October 2013; (ii) the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite-based sensor over Barrow (Alaska), Eureka (Nunavut, Canada) and Sodankylä (northern Finland), and Neumayer III, Mario Zucchelli and Mirny coastal stations in Antarctica in the local summer months of the last two years; (iii) the National Institute of Optics (INO), National Council of Research (CNR) Antarctic lidar at Dome C on the Antarctic Plateau for a typical “diamond dust” case; and (iv) the KARL lidar at Ny-Ålesund and the University of Rome/National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) lidar at Thule (northwestern Greenland) for some cirrus cloud layers in the middle and upper troposphere. The relative optical air mass calculations are compared with those obtained by Tomasi and Petkov (2014) to define the seasonal changes produced by aerosol particles, diamond dust and cirrus clouds. The results indicate that the corresponding air mass functions generally decrease as angle θ increases with rates that are proportional to the increase in the pure aerosol, diamond dust and cirrus cloud particle optical thickness.

Raman Microscopic Analysis of Internal Stress in Boron-Doped Diamond

Analysis of the induced stress on undoped and boron-doped diamond (BDD) thin films by confocal Raman microscopy is performed in this study to investigate its correlation with sample chemical composition and the substrate used during fabrication. Knowledge of this nature is very important to the issue of long-term stability of BDD coated neurosurgical electrodes that will be used in fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, as potential occurrence of film delaminations and dislocations during their surgical implantation can have unwanted consequences for the reliability of BDD-based biosensing electrodes. To achieve a more uniform deposition of the films on cylindrically-shaped tungsten rods, substrate rotation was employed in a custom-built chemical vapor deposition reactor. In addition to visibly preferential boron incorporation into the diamond lattice and columnar growth, the results also reveal a direct correlation between regions of pure diamond and enhanced stress. Definite stress release throughout entire film thicknesses was found in the current Raman mapping images for higher amounts of boron addition. There is also a possible contribution to the high values of compressive stress from sp2 type carbon impurities, besides that of the expected lattice mismatch between film and substrate.

Demonstration of entanglement-enhanced phase estimation in solid.

Precise parameter estimation plays a central role in science and technology. The statistical error in estimation can be decreased by repeating measurement, leading to that the resultant uncertainty of the estimated parameter is proportional to the square root of the number of repetitions in accordance with the central limit theorem. Quantum parameter estimation, an emerging field of quantum technology, aims to use quantum resources to yield higher statistical precision than classical approaches. Here we report the first room-temperature implementation of entanglement-enhanced phase estimation in a solid-state system: the nitrogen-vacancy centre in pure diamond. We demonstrate a super-resolving phase measurement with two entangled qubits of different physical realizations: an nitrogen-vacancy centre electron spin and a proximal 13C nuclear spin. The experimental data shows clearly the uncertainty reduction when entanglement resource is used, confirming the theoretical expectation. Our results represent an elemental demonstration of enhancement of quantum metrology against classical procedure.

Theoretical study of the porosity effects on the shock response of graphitic materials

In this paper we present a theoretical study of the shock compression of porous graphite by means of combined Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations using the LCBOPII potential. The results show that the Hugoniostat methods can be used with “pole” properties calculated from porous models to reproduce the experimental Hugoniot of pure graphite and diamond with good accuracy. The computed shock temperatures show a sharp increase for weak shocks which we analyze as the heating associated with the closure of the initial porosity. After this initial phase, the temperature increases with shock intensity at a rate comparable to monocrystalline graphite and diamond. These simulations data can be exploited in view to build a full equation of state for use in hydrodynamic simulations.

Highly-focused boron implantation in diamond and imaging using the nuclear reaction 11B(p, α)8Be

Diamond is an especially attractive material because of its gemological value as well as its unique mechanical, chemical and physical properties. One of these properties is that boron-doped diamond is an electrically p-type semiconducting material at practically any boron concentration. This property makes it possible to use diamonds for multiple industrial and technological applications. Boron can be incorporated into pure diamond by different techniques including ion implantation. Although typical energies used to dope diamond by ion implantation are about 100keV, implantations have also been performed with energies above MeV. In this work CMAM microbeam setup has been used to demonstrate capability to implant boron with high energies. An 8MeV boron beam with a size of about 5×3μm2 and a beam current higher than 500pA has been employed while controlling the beam position and fluence at all irradiated areas. The subsequent mapping of the implanted boron in diamond has been obtained using the strong and broad nuclear reaction 11B(p, α)8Be at Ep=660keV. This reaction has a high Q-value (8.59MeV for α0 and 5.68MeV for α1) and thus is almost interference-free. The sensitivity of the technique is studied in this work.

Growth of diamond coatings on functionally graded cemented carbides

Cemented carbides with diamond coatings have been widely used for cutting tools. However, the reaction of Co with the diamond coating during the deposition leads to the deterioration of the coating structure and the bonding strength. In this work, functionally graded cemented carbides (FGCCs), with a WC-rich surface, Co-rich intermediate layer and η phase-containing central part, were prepared. Diamond coatings were prepared on the FGCC by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), a method of catalytic decomposition of methane and hydrogen mixtures at a heated filament. The crystal growth and the bonding behavior of diamonds to different layers in FGCCs were investigated. Results indicated that the different regions of FGCCs show apparently different grain sizes and morphologies of diamond coatings. The Co-poor layer has a high crystallinity and purity of diamond, and the η phase-containing region is beneficial for the formation of fine diamond grains. The Co-rich layer has a diamond coating of low bonding strength due to the formation of graphite and porosity, while the η phase-containing region has a high bonding strength. By the combined effects of the three different layers, FGCC shows generally a high bonding strength, and is promising for using as a substrate for the diamond coating.

Magnetic resonance detection of individual proton spins using quantum reporters.

We demonstrate a method of magnetic resonance imaging with single nuclear-spin sensitivity under ambient conditions. Our method employs isolated electronic-spin quantum bits (qubits) as magnetic resonance "reporters" on the surface of high purity diamond. These spin qubits are localized with nanometer-scale uncertainty, and their quantum state is coherently manipulated and measured optically via a proximal nitrogen-vacancy color center located a few nanometers below the diamond surface. This system is then used for sensing, coherent coupling, and imaging of individual proton spins on the diamond surface with angstrom resolution. Our approach may enable direct structural imaging of complex molecules that cannot be accessed from bulk studies. It realizes a new platform for probing novel materials, monitoring chemical reactions, and manipulation of complex systems on surfaces at a quantum level.

Optimization of a promising technology to degrade the persistent azo-dye (RO16) using boron doped diamond electrodes

The electrochemical degradation of the reactive orange 16 azo-dye (RO16) using boron doped diamond (BDD) electrodes grown on titanium substrate (BDD/Ti) is presented. Two different electrodes, produced at growth times of 7 and 24 h, were used and named as E1 and E2, respectively. Both of them are highly doped, with the acceptor concentration of around 7.0 x 1020 cm-3, evaluated by the Raman spectra. The morphological and the physical characterization confirmed the best diamond purity of E2 electrode associated with its largest and well faceted grains as well as with its lowest sp2 content. This behavior was attributed to the diamond columnar growth dominance after the stead state process, observed for the films with a thickness higher than 3.0 ?m. The electrode efficiencies were studied to degrade electrochemically the RO16 dye. The results were analyzed by UV/VIS spectroscopy, by total organic carbon (TOC) and by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques. The electrode E2 showed the best efficiency for both, the aromaticity reduction and the azo group fracture, from UV/VIS spectra. These tendencies were confirmed by the TOC and the chromatographic measurements. The direct relationships among the BDD morphology, physical property, and performance during the degradation process were discussed.

Highly tunable formation of nitrogen-vacancy centers via ion implantation

We demonstrate highly tunable formation of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers using 20 keV 15N+ ion implantation through arrays of high-resolution apertures fabricated with electron beam lithography. By varying the aperture diameters from 80 to 240 nm, as well as the average ion fluences from 5×1010 to 2 × 1011 ions/cm2, we can control the number of ions per aperture. We analyze the photoluminescence on multiple sites with different implantation parameters and obtain ion-to-NV conversion yields of 6%–7%, consistent across all ion fluences. The implanted NV centers have spin dephasing times T2* ∼ 3 μs, comparable to naturally occurring NV centers in high purity diamond with natural abundance 13C. With this technique, we can deterministically control the population distribution of NV centers in each aperture, allowing for the study of single or coupled NV centers and their integration into photonic structures.