Abstract
The authors have analysed the cathodoluminescence spectra from single-crystal diamonds grown by the decomposition of a methane-hydrogen mixture in a microwave plasma. Crystals grown using methane concentrations of 4 concentration is increased to 2% the edge emission becomes relatively weak, implying a degradation of crystal quality. All the diamonds exhibit bright blue luminescence in the visible spectral region due to donor-acceptor pair recombination. An emission line at 2.985 eV may be the N3 zero-phonon line which is commonly observed in natural diamonds; other emission lines are unique to these diamonds prepared by chemical vapour deposition. The widths of the zero-phonon lines suggest that the material is heavily strained.

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