  The realization of photonic crystals (PC) in diamond is of major importance
for the entire field of spintronics based on fluorescent centers in diamond.
The processing steps for the case of diamond differ from those commonly used,
due to the extreme chemical and mechanical properties of this material. The
present work summarizes the state of the art in the realization of PC's in
diamond. It is based on the creation of a free standing diamond membrane into
which the desired nano-sized patterns are milled by the use of Focused-Ion-Beam
(FIB). The optimal fabrication-oriented structure parameters are predicted by
simulations. The milling strategies, the method of formation the diamond
membrane, recipes for dielectric material-manipulation in FIB and optical
characterization constraints are discussed in conjunction with their
implication on PC cavity design. The thus produced structures are characterized
via confocal photoluminescence.
