  Exposure of nitrogen doped diamond to high energy, heavy ions induces
formation of vacancy related color centers aligned along the trajectories of
the ions. Quasi 1D chains of coupled NV centers with lengths of a few tens of
microns can be building blocks for quantum information processing and they
provide insights into harsh radiation-matter interactions. Here, we report on
color center formation in diamond (1 ppm nitrogen) with 1 GeV gold and uranium
ions. Using depth-resolved photoluminescence, we observe direct formation of
single vacancy related color centers (GR1 centers) along the ion tracks. Mobile
vacancies can form NV-centers with native nitrogen atoms during thermal
annealing. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that both isolated vacancies
and defect clusters form along ion trajectory through electronic stopping
processes, leading to broad color center profiles that range from the sample
surface to a depth of about 25 microns. We quantify the spin properties of
NV-centers formed by swift heavy ions through optical detection of magnetic
resonance (ODMR) and validate the feasibility of using
swift-heavy-ion-generated NV$^{-}$ along quasi 1D chains (for isolated tracks
from low fluence irradiations) or in thin sheets of coupled 1D spin chains
(formed with higher ion fluences) for NV-based magnetometry and for the
exploration of quasi 1D and 2D spin textures in diamond.
