Strain-induced spatial and spectral isolation of quantum emitters in mono- and bi-layer WSe2

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that substrate-induced strain gradients in mono- and bi-layer WSe2 can create spatially and spectrally isolated quantum emitters, enabling strain engineering of quantum light sources in 2D materials.

Contribution

It introduces a method to induce and control quantum emitters in WSe2 via substrate patterning and strain gradients, advancing quantum light source engineering in 2D semiconductors.

Findings

Quantum emitters are spatially and spectrally isolated by strain gradients.

Emission energy can be red-tuned up to ~170 meV.

Strain-engineering enables deterministic creation of quantum emitter arrays.

Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors are intriguing hosts for quantum light sources due to their unique opto-electronic properties. Here we report that strain gradients induced by substrate patterning result in spatially and spectrally isolated quantum emitters in mono- and bi-layer WSe2. By correlating localized excitons with localized strain-variations, we show that the quantum emitter emission energy can be red-tuned up to a remarkable ~170 meV. We probe the fine-structure, magneto-optics, and second order coherence of a strained emitter. These results raise the prospect to strain-engineer quantum emitter properties and deterministically create arrays of quantum emitters in two-dimensional semiconductors.