Efficient creation of shallow NV − ensembles by high-angle ion implantation

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond are widely used as quantum sensors, but creating shallow ensembles with high yield and reasonable spin coherence remains challenging. We show that high-angle nitrogen ion implantation efficiently forms shallow NV ensembles. Implanting ions at angles above 60^∘{} gives NV yields approaching 10% with effective depths below 10 nm. The oblique geometry enhances near-surface vacancy generation while keeping nitrogen close to the surface, improving the conditions for NV formation. The resulting ensembles retain stable charge states and useful spin coherence, offering a practical platform for nanoscale NMR and NQR sensing.