Anti-reflection coating for nitrogen-vacancy optical measurements in diamond

We realize anti-reflection (AR) coatings for optical excitation and fluorescence measurements of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in bulk diamond by depositing quarter-wavelength thick silica layers on the diamond surface. These AR coatings improve NV-diamond optical measurements by reducing optical reflection at the diamond-air interface from ≈17% to ≈2%, which allows more effective NV optical excitation and more efficient detection of NV fluorescence. We also show that diamond AR coatings eliminate standing-wave interference patterns of excitation laser intensity within bulk diamond, and thereby greatly reduce spatial variations in NV fluorescence, which can degrade spatially resolved magnetic field sensing using NV centers.