Single defects in nanocrystalline diamond have been shown to possess a magnetic ground state which can be polarised optically. It is surprising that light can affect the magnetic state of the nanostructure but the effect is real and it has been suggested that it can be used in a wide range of applications such as the development of magnetometry in the nano-scale, qubits for quantum computers, and for tracking vehicles in drug engineering (see this article in Wikipedia). In spite of the large number of applications and publications, the physical origin of the effect is not understood.
This project involves a combination of ab initio theory and atomistic modelling to elucidate the physical origin of the effect.