Investigation of charge dynamics of solid-state defects in diamond with single nitrogen-vacancy centers*

The number of promising solid-state point defects for quantum technologies is expansive, and new applications for novel and underexplored defects are emerging in fields ranging from quantum information to nanoscale metrology. In order to fully utilize these defects, control over their charge states is required, but there remains much to learn about the charge dynamics of defects in wide-band-gap semiconductors. Here, we introduce a novel measurement scheme which allows us to investigate local charge dynamics in diamond using charge state readout on a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. We present experimental results in which we use a single NV center defect to probe the charge dynamics of other NV centers, silicon-vacancy centers, and nitrogen defects deep in bulk diamond. We discuss the new insights this technique provides into charge dynamics and defect charge states within diamond.