Deterministic exciton confinement in 2D semiconductors via local dielectric engineering for scalable quantum light sources

TL;DR

This paper proposes a scalable, dielectric-engineered method to confine excitons in 2D semiconductors, enabling deterministic single-photon emission suitable for integrated quantum photonic devices.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dielectric engineering approach for exciton confinement in 2D materials, avoiding strain or defect-based methods, and demonstrates its theoretical feasibility for scalable quantum light sources.

Findings

Localized exciton states can be supported by high-dielectric nanopillars.

The confinement effectiveness is quantified through binding energies and wavefunction profiles.

The approach is compatible with lithography and CMOS processes.

Abstract

Single-photon emitters are essential building blocks for quantum communication and photonic quantum technologies. However, realizing scalable, on-chip SPEs on a CMOS-compatible platform remains a significant challenge. Here, we propose and theoretically demonstrate a scalable approach to exciton confinement in two-dimensional semiconductors via local dielectric engineering. By introducing a high-dielectric-constant nanopillar above or beneath the 2D material, we create a spatially varying dielectric environment that can support localized exciton states, enabling deterministic, lithography-compatible single-photon emission without relying on strain, defects, or etching of the 2D layer. Using numerical solutions to the 2D excitonic Schrodinger equation, we quantify the resulting confinement through binding energies, wavefunction profiles, and a spatial confinement parameter. These results offer a practical and scalable route for integrating 2D-based quantum emitters into photonic platforms, paving the way for next-generation quantum optoelectronic devices.