Nitrogen in diamond studied by magnetic resonance

Nitrogen is the most common substitutional impurity in diamond. Much of the information about the many different defects in diamond containing nitrogen atoms has been found by magnetic resonance. This information is reviewed, and the possibility is discussed of finding information about more such centres, mechanisms of their formation and alteration by external influences. The unambiguously identified centres involve either: (a) only substitutional nitrogen atoms, up to three in number, (b) a combination, of substitutional nitrogen atoms and vacancies, (c) substitutional nitrogen and other foreign atoms. Speculations are made about the atomic models of less well characterized centres, as well as about some simple possible centres which have not yet been identified.