Quantum Optics

Scientific highlights

Point Defects in h-BN as efficient UV quantum emitters

Submitted by eels on Thu, 2017-01-05 15:18

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Single photons sources (SPS) play a central role in the experimental foundation of quantum computing. Currently, there is a large scientific effort in identifying new bright and stable single-photon emission sources, with the aim of extending the spectral range achievable by quantum emitters. In the last years low dimensional layered semiconductors appeared as new promising optical materials and low energy SPS have been identified in transition metal dichalcogenides. In this work, thanks to a newly developed optical set-up integrated in a scanning transmission electron microscope, we have identified a new very bright UV single photon emitter in hexagonal boron nitride. Read more »

Photon Bunching in Cathodoluminescence

Submitted by ltizei on Tue, 2015-05-12 21:48

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We have measured the second order correlation function g(2)(t) of the cathodoluminescence intensity resulting from the excitation by fast electrons of defect centers in wide band-gap semiconductor nanocrystals of diamond and hexagonal boron nitride. We show that the cathodoluminescence second order correlation function g(2)(t) of multiple defect centers is dominated by a large, nanosecond zero-delay bunching (g(2)(0)>30), in stark contrast to their flat photoluminescence g(2)(t) function. We have developed a model showing that this bunching can be attributed to the synchronized emission from several defect centers excited by the same electron through the deexcitation of a bulk plasmon into few electron-hole pairs.

Recently published in S. Meuret et al Phys. Rev. Lett. 114 197401 (2015)

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