Optically addressable solid-state spins are important platforms for quantum technologies, such as repeaters and sensors. Spins in two-dimensional materials offer an advantage, as the reduced dimensionality enables feasible on-chip integration into devices. Here, we report room-temperature optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) from single carbon-related defects in hexagonal boron nitride with up to 100 times stronger contrast than the ensemble average. We identify two distinct bunching timescales in the second-order intensity-correlation measurements for ODMR-active defects, but only one for those without an ODMR response. We also observe either positive or negative ODMR signal for each defect. Based on kinematic models, we relate this bipolarity to highly tuneable internal optical rates. Finally, we resolve an ODMR fine structure in the form of an angle-dependent doublet resonance, indicative of weak but finite zero-field splitting. Our results offer a promising route towards realising a room-temperature spin-photon quantum interface in hexagonal boron nitride.

We demonstrate the strong coupling of direct transition excitons in tungsten disulfide (WS2) with collective plasmonic resonances at room temperature. We use open plasmonic cavities formed by periodic arrays of metallic nanoparticles. We show clear anticrossings with monolayer, bilayer and thicker multilayer WS2 on top of the nanoparticle array.The Rabi energy of such hybrid system varies from 50 to 110 meV from monolayer to sixteen layers, while it does not scale with the square root of the number of layers as expected for collective strong coupling. We prove that out-of-plane coupling components can be disregarded since the normal field is screened due to the high refractive index contrast of the dielectric layers. Even though the in-plane dipole moments of the excitons decrease beyond monolayers, the strong in-plane field distributed in the flake can still enhance the coupling strength with multilayers. However, the screened out-of-plane field leads to the saturation of the Rabi energy.The achieved coherent coupling of TMD multilayers with open cavities could be exploited for

Cell membranes regulate the distribution of biological machinery between phase-separated lipid domains to facilitate key processes including signaling and transport, which are among the life-like functionalities that bottom-up synthetic biology aims to replicate in artificial-cellular systems. Here, we introduce a modular approach to program partitioning of amphiphilic DNA nanostructures in coexisting lipid domains. Exploiting the tendency of different hydrophobic “anchors” to enrich different phases, we modulate the lateral distribution of our devices by rationally combining hydrophobes and by changing nanostructure size and topology. We demonstrate the functionality of our strategy with a bioinspired DNA architecture, which dynamically undergoes ligand-induced reconfiguration to mediate cargo transport between domains via lateral redistribution. Our findings pave the way to next-generation biomimetic platforms for sensing, transduction, and communication in synthetic cellular systems.

sources for highly efficient emission [8][9][10] and lasing. [11,12] The lack of inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling in monolayers allows circularly polarized light to populate excitons in a given valley with a defined momentum direction. [13][14][15][16] Such valley polarization enables the storage of information in the valley degree of freedom and the development of valleytronic devices. [6,17] Despite being atomically thin, monolayer TMDs show strong absorption in the visible and near-infrared regimes, with absorption coefficients as high as ≈15%. [18] Such strong interactions with light make TMDs ideal for applications in integrated photonics, photodetectors, and other nanoscale devices. [8,19] Further enhancement [20][21][22][23] and tuning [24][25][26][27] of light-matter interaction is still possible through the integration of monolayers into nanophotonic architectures. In structures such as microcavities [20][21][22] or metal nanoantennas, [23,25,26,28,29] dielectric layers are frequently placed on top of the TMD monolayer to tune optical resonances, to protect the samples from degradation, or as spacers to avoid charge transfer. In this way, TMD monolayers may be surrounded by a dielectric environment that could modify their absorption and emission, which if controllable, is desirable for engineering properties such as the optical density of states or dielectric screening. [30][31][32] Furthermore, variations in fabrication methods and processing techniques of these configurations can also lead to the uncontrolled modification in emission efficiency and photoluminescence (PL) lifetime of the mono layers. [33] Additionally, the effect of dielectric substrates on excitonic resonances and binding energy of TMD monolayers has been under discussion. [34][35][36][37][38][39] The extent of the modification of emission efficiency and lifetime caused by the dielectric environment and the possibility of preserving the emission properties of high-quality monolayers is particularly important for integrating TMDs into viable devices and heterostructures.Here, we clarify the impact that transferring TMD monolayers to different dielectric environments has on their photoluminescent properties. We use micro-PL imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to characterize the PL emission intensity and lifetime of monolayers, respectively. Firstly, we investigate differences arising from encapsulation methods and employ two different processing techniques, spin coating and soft transfer, to encapsulate exfoliated WS 2 monolayers Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising semiconductors for nanoscale photonics and optoelectronics due to their strong interactions with light. However, processes that integrate TMDs into nanophotonic and optoelectronic devices can introduce defects in the monolayers, resulting in lower emission efficiency. Quality control is therefore needed to process monolayer semiconductors effectively. Through micro-photoluminescence and fluorescence lifetime imaging me...

Abstract:The development of polymer membranes with tailored micro-morphology and wettability is a demand in the areas of filtration, sensors, and tissue engineering, among others. The thermoplastic copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-cohexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), is one of the most widely used polymers for these applications due to its good mechanical and thermal properties, biocompatibility and low density. Although the control of the PVDF-HFP morphology is a complicated task, the introduction of ionic liquids (ILs) in the PVDF-HFP matrix opens news perspectives in this area. This