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Atomic defect centers in diamond have been widely exploited in numerous quantum applications like quantum information, sensing, quantum photonics and so on. In this context, there is always a requirement to improve and optimize the preparation procedure to generate the defect centers in controlled fashion, and to explore new defect centers which can have the potential to overcome the current technological challenges. Through this letter we report enhancing the concentration of Ge and Xe vacancy centers in nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) by means of He+ irradiation. We have demonstrated controlled growth of NCD by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and implantation of Ge and Xe ions into the CVD-grown samples. NCDs were irradiated with He+ ions and characterized through optical spectroscopy measurements. Recorded photoluminescence results revealed a clear signature of enhancement of the Xe-related and Ge vacancies in NCDs., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

Natalie Vanden Bon,1 Bart van Grinsven,2 Mohammed Sharif Murib,2 Weng Siang Yeap,2 Ken Haenen,2,3 Ward De Ceuninck,2,3 Patrick Wagner,2,3 Marcel Ameloot,1 Veronique Vermeeren,1 Luc Michiels11Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; 2Institute for Materials Research, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium; 3IMOMEC, Diepenbeek, BelgiumAbstract: Conventional neonatal diagnosis of phenylketonuria is based on the presence of abnormal levels of phenylalanine in the blood. However, for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis, direct detection of disease-correlated mutations is needed. To speed up and simplify mutation screening in genes, new technologies are developed. In this study, a heat-transfer method is evaluated as a mutation-detection technology in entire exons of the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene. This method is based on the change in heat-transfer resistance (Rth) upon thermal denaturation of dsDNA (double-stranded DNA) on nanocrystalline diamond. First, ssDNA (single-stranded DNA) fragments that span the size range of the PAH exons were successfully immobilized on nanocrystalline diamond. Next, it was studied whether an Rth change could be observed during the thermal denaturation of these DNA fragments after hybridization to their complementary counterpart. A clear Rth shift during the denaturation of exon 5, exon 9, and exon 12 dsDNA was observed, corresponding to lengths of up to 123 bp. Finally, Rth was shown to detect prevalent single-nucleotide polymorphisms, c.473G>A (R158Q), c.932T>C (p.L311P), and c.1222C>T (R408W), correlated with phenylketonuria, displaying an effect related to the different melting temperatures of homoduplexes and heteroduplexes.Keywords: mutation detection, heat-transfer resistance, melting temperature, nanocrystalline diamond, persistence length

Utilization of Au and nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) as interlayers noticeably modifies the microstructure and field electron emission (FEE) properties of hexagonal boron nitride nanowalls (hBNNWs) grown on Si substrates. The FEE properties of hBNNWs on Au could be turned on at a low turn-on field of 14.3V mu m(-1), attaining FEE current density of 2.58mAcm(-2) and life-time stability of 105 min. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the Au-interlayer nucleates the hBN directly, preventing the formation of amorphous boron nitride (aBN) in the interface, resulting in enhanced FEE properties. But Au forms as droplets on the Si substrate forming again aBN at the interface. Conversely, hBNNWs on NCD shows superior in life-time stability of 287 min although it possesses inferior FEE properties in terms of larger turn-on field and lower FEE current density as compared to that of hBNNWs-Au. The uniform and continuous NCD film on Si also circumvents the formation of aBN phases and allows hBN to grow directly on NCD. Incorporation of carbon in hBNNWs from the NCD-interlayer improves the conductivity of hBNNWs, which assists in transporting the electrons efficiently from NCD to hBNNWs that results in better field emission of electrons with high life-time stability. The authors like to thank the financial support of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) via Research Projects G.0456.12 and G.0044.13N, the Methusalem “NANO” network. K. J. Sankaran, P. Pobedinskas, and S. Turner are FWO Postdoctoral Fellows of the Research Foundations Flanders (FWO).

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are progressively used for decentralized electricity generation. To obtain the maximum yield from such systems, optimisation of all components is essential. In this contribution, we provide a comprehensive modelling and sizing of PV systems for any location. Three applications are here presented providing real time monitoring of PV potential, accurate prediction of yield taking into account thermodynamic temperature effects, optimization of modules orientation addressing the effects of shading and efficient sizing of inverter for a higher yield output. When combined, these models can accurately predict the real time performance of any PV system.

Diamond foams composed of hollow spheres of polycrystalline boron-doped diamond are chemically modified with two donor-acceptor type molecular dyes, BT-Rho and CPDT-Fur, and tested as electrode materials for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells with an aqueous electrolyte solution containing methyl viologen as a redox mediator. Reference experiments with flat polycrystalline diamond electrodes evidence full blocking of the methyl viologen redox reaction by these dyes, whereas only partial blocking is observed for the diamond foams. This is ascribed to sp(2)-carbon impurities in the foam, viz. trans-polyacetylene and graphite-like carbon. Cathodic photocurrents under solar light illumination are about 3 times larger on foam electrodes compared to flat diamond. Long-term (1-2 days) illumination of the sensitized foam electrodes with chopped light at 1 sun intensity causes an increase of the cathodic photocurrent density to ca. 15-22 mu A cm(-2). These photocurrent densities represent the largest values reported so far for dye-sensitized diamond electrodes. The photoelectrochemical activation of the sensitized diamond electrodes is accompanied with characteristic changes of the dark voltammogram of the MV2+/MV+ redox couple and with gradual changes of the IPCE spectra.

Probe DNA, consisting of a 36-mer fragment was covalently immobilized on nanocrystalline chemical vapour deposition (CVD) diamond electrodes and hybridized with a 29-mer target DNA. In this paper, we report on the label-free real-time electronic monitoring of DNA denaturation upon exposure to NaOH at different flow rates and molarities, using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as readout technology. The impedance response was separated into a denaturation time constant and a medium exchange time constant by means of a double exponential fit. It was observed that the denaturation time is dependent on the flow rate as well as on the molarity of the NaOH. Surprisingly, it was observed that at low molarities (0.05 M) the DNA does not fully denature at low flow rates. Only after flushing the flow cell a second time with 0.05 M NaOH, complete denaturation was achieved. Confocal images were obtained and plotted in 3D graphs to confirm the results. This paper provides a systematic overview of measured denaturation times for different flow rates and at different molarities of NaOH. Optimization of these parameters can be a valuable asset in the field of mutation analysis. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. ispartof: Physica Status Solidi A, Applications and Materials Research vol:210 issue:5 pages:911-917 status: published

In this work, a detailed structural and spectroscopic study of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films grown by a continuous bias assisted CVD growth technique is reported. This technique allows the tuning of grain size and phase purity in the deposited material. The crystalline properties of the films are characterized by SEM, TEM, EELS, and Raman spectroscopy. A clear improvement of the crystalline structure of the nanograined diamond film is observed for low negative bias voltages, while high bias voltages lead to thin films consisting of diamond grains of only ∼10 nm nanometer in size, showing remarkable similarities with so-called ultrananocrystalline diamond. These layers arecharacterized by an increasing amount of sp 2-bonded carbon content of the matrix in which the diamond grains are embedded. Classical molecular dynamics simulations support the observed experimental data, giving insight in the underlying mechanism for the observed increase in deposition rate with bias voltage. Furthermore, a high atomic concentration of hydrogen has been determined in these films. Finally, Raman scattering analyses confirm that the Raman line observed at ∼1150 cm -1 cannot be attributed to trans-poly-acetylene, which continues to be reported in literature, reassigning it to a deformation mode of CH x bonds in NCD. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. ispartof: Physica Status Solidi A, Applications and Materials Research vol:209 issue:9 pages:1675-1682 status: published

Deep-ultraviolet solar-blind photodiodes based on high-quality AlN films grown on sapphire substrates with a metal–semiconductor–metal configuration were simulated and fabricated. The Schottky contact is based on TiN metallization. The material is characterized by the micro-Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction technique. The detector presents an extremely low dark current of 100 fA at −100 V dc bias for large device area as high as 3.1 mm2. It also exhibits a rejection ratio between 180 and 300 nm of three orders of magnitude with a very sharp cut-off wavelength at 203 nm (∼6.1 eV). The simulation to optimize the photodiode topology is based on a 2D energy-balance model using the COMSOL® software. Simulation performed for different spacing for a given bias between electrodes show that a compromise must be found between the dark current and the responsivity for the optimization of the device performance. The measurement results are in good agreement with the model predictions.

Since their first synthesis, cubic boron nitride (c-BN) and diamond thin films have triggered a vivid interest in these wide band gap materials for many different applications. Because of superior properties, c-BN and diamond can be applied in optic, electronic and acoustic for high performances devices. In this discussion, we first describe briefly the properties of c-BN and diamond and we review both the growth techniques and the progresses achieved in the synthesis of c-BN and diamond, and in a second part, characteristics of new c-BN and diamond UV detectors for solar observation are reported. These photo-detectors present extremely low dark current, high breakdown voltage, high responsivity and stability under UV irradiation. Finally, diamond based acoustic devices and sensors are presented. High frequency acoustic wave devices can be design for high frequency filtering or sensing applications. Diamond/AlN micro-cantilevers are excellent platform for sensor applications.