C60 fullerene as an on-demand single photon source at room temperature

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that C60 fullerene molecules embedded in polystyrene can serve as reliable, on-demand single-photon sources at room temperature, offering a practical and scalable solution for quantum photonics.

Contribution

It introduces a new, practical single-photon source using commercially available C60 fullerenes at room temperature, simplifying integration into quantum technologies.

Findings

C60 fullerenes exhibit on-demand single-photon emission

They have short fluorescence lifetimes and high emission rates

The method is practical, economical, and scalable

Abstract

Single photon sources are fundamental for applications in quantum computing, secure communication, and sensing, as they enable the generation of individual photons and ensure strict control over photon number statistics. However, current single photon sources can be limited by a lack of robustness, difficulty of integration into existing optical or electronic devices, and high cost. In this study, we present the use of off-the-shelf \ch{C60} fullerene molecules embedded in polystyrene as room-temperature reliable single-photon emitters. As our results demonstrate, these molecules exhibit on-demand single-photon emission, with short fluorescence lifetimes and, consequently, high emission rates. The wide availability and ease of preparation and manipulation of fullerenes as single photon sources can pave the way for the development of practical, economic and scalable quantum photonic technologies.