Selection rules in the excitation of the divacancy and the nitrogen-vacancy pair in 4 H - and 6 H -SiC

In this study, we address selection rules with respect to the polarization of the optical excitation of two color centers in 4H−SiC and 6H−SiC with potential for applications in quantum technology, the divacancy and the nitrogen-vacancy pair. We show that the photoluminescence of the axial configurations of higher symmetry (C3v) than the basal ones (C1h) can be canceled using any excitation (resonant or nonresonant) with polarization parallel to the crystal axis (EL||c). The polarization selection rules are determined using group-theoretical analysis and simple physical arguments showing that phonon-assisted absorption with EL||c is prohibited despite being formally allowed by group theory. A comparison with the selection rules for the silicon vacancy, another defect with C3v symmetry, is also carried out. Using the selection rules, we demonstrate selective excitation of only one basal divacancy configuration in 4H−SiC, the PL3 line, and discuss the higher contrast and increased Debye-Waller factor in the selectively excited spectrum. Published by the American Physical Society 2024