Site-specific stable deterministic single photon emitters with low Huang-Rhys value in layered hexagonal boron nitride at room temperature

TL;DR

This paper reports the development of stable, site-specific single-photon emitters in hexagonal boron nitride at room temperature, characterized by high emission rates and an exceptionally low Huang-Rhys factor of 0.6, advancing quantum technology applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to create stable, site-specific quantum emitters in h-BN with low Huang-Rhys values, which was previously a significant challenge.

Findings

Achieved stable single-photon emission with 105 counts/sec.

Demonstrated a low Huang-Rhys factor of 0.6 at room temperature.

Confirmed site-specific emitters with zero-phonon line at ~578 nm.

Abstract

Development of stable room-temperature bright single-photon emitters using atomic defects in hexagonal-boron nitride flakes (h-BN) provides significant promises for quantum technologies. However, an outstanding challenge in h-BN is creating site-specific, stable, high emission rate single photon emitters with very low Huang-Rhys (HR) factor. Here, we discuss the photonic properties of site-specific, isolated, stable quantum emitter that emit single photons with a high emission rate and unprecedented low HR value of 0.6 at room temperature. Scanning confocal image confirms site-specific single photon emitter with a prominent zero-phonon line at ~578 nm with saturation photon counts of 105 counts/second. The second-order intensity-intensity correlation measurement shows an anti-bunching dip of ~0.25 with an emission lifetime of 2.46 ns. Low-energy electron beam irradiation and subsequent annealing are important to achieve stable single photon emitters.