Single-Photon Emitters in Boron Nitride Nanococoons.
Joshua ZieglerAndrew BlaikieAidin FathalizadehDavid MillerFehmi S YasinKerisha WilliamsJordan MohrhardtBenjamin J McMorranAlex ZettlBenjamín AlemánPublished in: Nano letters (2018)
Quantum emitters in two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are attractive for a variety of quantum and photonic technologies because they combine ultra-bright, room-temperature single-photon emission with an atomically thin crystal. However, the emitter's prominence is hindered by large, strain-induced wavelength shifts. We report the discovery of a visible-wavelength, single-photon emitter (SPE) in a zero-dimensional boron nitride allotrope (the boron nitride nanococoon, BNNC) that retains the excellent optical characteristics of few-layer hBN while possessing an emission line variation that is lower by a factor of 5 than the hBN emitter. We determined the emission source to be the nanometer-size BNNC through the cross-correlation of optical confocal microscopy with high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Altogether, this discovery enlivens color centers in BN materials and, because of the BN nanococoon's size, opens new and exciting opportunities in nanophotonics, quantum information, biological imaging, and nanoscale sensing.
Keyphrases
- high resolution
- light emitting
- quantum dots
- room temperature
- electron microscopy
- high speed
- molecular dynamics
- visible light
- energy transfer
- reduced graphene oxide
- small molecule
- mass spectrometry
- solid state
- high throughput
- atomic force microscopy
- tandem mass spectrometry
- ms ms
- high glucose
- monte carlo
- diabetic rats
- healthcare
- endothelial cells
- health information
- social media
- photodynamic therapy