Mapping the Local Spatial Charge in Defective Diamond by Means of N-V Sensors—A Self-Diagnostic Concept

Diamond is a promising material for innovative electronic devices, radiation detectors, and integrated platforms for quantum technologies, but with a major hurdle: Deep levels in diamond's band gap act as charge-carrier traps, causing electric-field inhomogeneities and memory effects. Conventional techniques cannot provide a direct, unambiguous picture of the local field distribution in the defective material. This study use the sensitivity of the native nitrogen-vacancy defect itself to measure the local internal electric field, for a clear view of the inner workings of diamond devices.