High-Yield Assembly of Plasmon-Coupled Nanodiamonds via DNA Origami for Tailored Emission

Abstract: Controlling the spatial arrangement of optically active elements is crucial for the advancement of engineered photonic systems. Color centers in nanodiamond offer unique advantages for quantum sensing and information processing; however, their integration into complex optical architectures is limited by challenges in precise and reproducible positioning, as well as efficient coupling. DNA origami provides an elegant solution, as demonstrated by recent studies showcasing nanoscale positioning of fluorescent nanodiamonds and plasmonic gold nanoparticles. Here, we present a scalable and robust method for covalently functionalizing nanodiamonds with DNA, enabling high-yield, spatially controlled assembly of diamond and gold nanoparticles onto DNA origami. By precisely controlling the interparticle spacing, we reveal distance-dependent modulation of NV center photoluminescence with a 10-fold increase in the fastest decay pathway at short interparticle distances. Our findings indicate selective plasmon-driven effects and interplay between radiative and non-radiative processes. This work overcomes key limitations in current nanodiamond assembly strategies and provides insights into engineering NV photoluminescence by plasmonic coupling that advance toward quantum photonic and sensing applications.