Reversing annealing-induced optical loss in diamond microcavities

A key challenge for quantum photonic technologies based on spin qubits is the creation of optically active defects in photonic resonators. Several of the most promising defects for quantum applications are hosted in diamond and are commonly created through ion implantation and annealing at high temperatures and high vacuum. However, the impact of annealing on photonic resonator quality factor, a critical parameter governing their coupling to defects, has not been reported. In this work, we characterize the effect of annealing at temperatures up to 1200 °C in high vacuum on the quality factors of diamond microdisk resonators. We investigate the optical losses associated with a non-diamond layer formed during annealing and use Raman spectroscopy to analyze the resonator surface morphology and demonstrate that tri-acid cleaning can restore their optical quality factors. These results show a viable method for creating defects in pre-fabricated diamond microdisk resonators without degrading their optical properties.