All-optical control and super-resolution imaging of quantum emitters in layered materials

Nature Communications
Mehran KianiniaMilos Toth

Abstract

Layered van der Waals materials are emerging as compelling two-dimensional platforms for nanophotonics, polaritonics, valleytronics and spintronics, and have the potential to transform applications in sensing, imaging and quantum information processing. Among these, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is known to host ultra-bright, room-temperature quantum emitters, whose nature is yet to be fully understood. Here we present a set of measurements that give unique insight into the photophysical properties and level structure of hBN quantum emitters. Specifically, we report the existence of a class of hBN quantum emitters with a fast-decaying intermediate and a long-lived metastable state accessible from the first excited electronic state. Furthermore, by means of a two-laser repumping scheme, we show an enhanced photoluminescence and emission intensity, which can be utilized to realize a new modality of far-field super-resolution imaging. Our findings expand current understanding of quantum emitters in hBN and show new potential ways of harnessing their nonlinear optical properties in sub-diffraction nanoscopy.

References

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Citations

Apr 24, 2018·Nanoscale·Zai-Quan XuIgor Aharonovich
Dec 18, 2019·Reports on Progress in Physics·Sajid AliJeffrey Reimers
Apr 1, 2020·Optics Express·Mads K BollUlrik L Andersen
Mar 7, 2020·Nature·Jiajia ZhouDayong Jin
Jan 16, 2019·Nature Communications·Annemarie L ExarhosLee C Bassett
May 29, 2020·Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology·Stefania CastellettoAlberto Boretti
Feb 9, 2019·Annual Review of Physical Chemistry·Milos Toth, Igor Aharonovich
Dec 17, 2020·Chemical Reviews·Kade Head-MarsdenPrineha Narang
May 8, 2021·Nature Materials·Nathan ChejanovskyJörg Wrachtrup
May 8, 2021·Frontiers in Chemistry·Yanfeng LiuJunle Qu
Jun 12, 2021·Scientific Reports·Akbar Basha Dhu-Al-Jalali-Wal-Ikram Shaik, Penchalaiah Palla
Jul 3, 2019·Nano Letters·Ngoc My Hanh DuongIgor Aharonovich
May 10, 2020·Nano Letters·Prince KhatriIsaac J Luxmoore
Jun 9, 2018·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Hanh Ngoc My DuongMilos Toth
Sep 15, 2021·ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·Marie KrečmarováJuan F Sánchez-Royo

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
Fluorescence
imaging techniques
super-resolution nanoscopy

Software Mentioned

Matlab
RESOLFT

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