Bright UV Single Photon Emission at Point Defects in h-BN

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b01368
• Publication Date: 2016-06-14T16:06:05Z
• Authors: Romain Bourrellier; Sophie Meuret; Anna Tararan; Odile Stéphan; Mathieu Kociak; Luiz H. G. Tizei; Alberto Zobelli
• Keywords: [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-OPTICS]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Optics [physics.optics]; [PHYS.COND.CM-MS]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat]/Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

To date, quantum sources in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral region have been obtained only semiconductor dots. Color centers wide bandgap materials may represent a more effective alternative. However, quest for UV emitters bulk crystals faces difficulty of combining an efficient excitation/detection optical setup with capability addressing individual color potentially highly defective materials. In this work we overcome limit by employing original experimental coupling cathodoluminescence within scanning transmission electron microscope to Hanbury-Brown-Twiss intensity interferometer. We identify new extremely bright single photon emitter (4.1 eV) hexagonal boron nitride. Hyperspectral maps show high spatial localization emission (∼80 nm) and typical zero-phonon line plus phonon replica spectroscopic signature, indicating point defect origin, most likely carbon substitutional at nitrogen sites. An additional nonsingle-photon broad appear same region, which can be attributed intrinsic defects related irradiation.