Photoinduced Modification of Single-Photon Emitters in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Fluorescent defects recently observed under ambient conditions in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) promise to open novel opportunities for the implementation of on-chip photonic devices that rely on identical photons from single emitters. Here we report on the room-temperature photoluminescence dynami...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACS photonics 2016-12, Vol.3 (12), p.2490-2496
Main Authors: Shotan, Zav, Jayakumar, Harishankar, Considine, Christopher R, Mackoit, Mažena, Fedder, Helmut, Wrachtrup, Jörg, Alkauskas, Audrius, Doherty, Marcus W, Menon, Vinod M, Meriles, Carlos A
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Fluorescent defects recently observed under ambient conditions in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) promise to open novel opportunities for the implementation of on-chip photonic devices that rely on identical photons from single emitters. Here we report on the room-temperature photoluminescence dynamics of individual emitters in multilayer h-BN flakes exposed to blue laser light. Comparison of optical spectra recorded at successive times reveals considerable spectral diffusion, possibly the result of slowly fluctuating, trapped-carrier-induced Stark shifts. Large spectral jumpsreaching up to 100 nmfollowed by bleaching are observed in most cases upon prolonged exposure to blue light, an indication of one-directional photochemical changes possibly taking place on the flake surface. Remarkably, only a fraction of the observed emitters also fluoresce on green illumination, suggesting a more complex optical excitation dynamics than previously anticipated and raising questions on the physical nature of the crystal defect at play.
ISSN:2330-4022
2330-4022
DOI:10.1021/acsphotonics.6b00736