Hexagonal boron nitride: a review of the emerging material platform for single-photon sources and the spin–photon interface

Abstract

Single-photon sources and their optical spin readout are at the core of applications in quantum communication, quantum computation, and quantum sensing. Their integration in photonic structures such as photonic crystals, microdisks, microring resonators, and nanopillars is essential for their deployment in quantum technologies. While there are currently only two material platforms (diamond and silicon carbide) with proven single-photon emission from the visible to infrared, a quantum spin–photon interface, and ancilla qubits, it is expected that other material platforms could emerge with similar characteristics in the near future. These two materials also naturally lead to monolithic integrated photonics as both are good photonic materials. While so far the verification of single-photon sources was based on discovery, assignment and then assessment and control of their quantum properties for applications, a better approach could be to identify applications and then search for the material that could address the requirements of the application in terms of quantum properties of the defects. This approach is quite difficult as it is based mostly on the reliability of modeling and predicting of color center properties in various materials, and their experimental verification is challenging. In this paper, we review some recent advances in an emerging material, low-dimensional (2D, 1D, 0D) hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which could lead to establishing such a platform. We highlight the recent achievements of the specific material for the expected applications in quantum technologies, indicating complementary outstanding properties compared to the other 3D bulk materials.

Review of Anisotropic 2D Materials: Controlled Growth, Optical Anisotropy Modulation, and Photonic Applications

“…Different from the two-order nonlinear optical properties, the third-order nonlinear effects exist in any material, including third-harmonic, optical Kerr effect, four-wave mixing, saturated absorption, etc. [153] Taking BP as an instance, Youngblood et al reported its third-harmonic generation (THG) and measure 𝜒 (3) experimentally for the first time. [154] The THG intensity exhibits a fourfold and twofold reliance on the polarization angle when the incident light is polarized along the x-and y-axis, respectively (Figure 7g).…”

Quantum nanophotonic and nanoplasmonic sensing: towards quantum optical bioscience laboratories on chip

“…Candidates include defects in semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) (for example WSe 2 ) and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) single crystals [186]. While TMDs require low temperatures for efficient single photon emission, hBN defect centres have been shown to be chemically and thermally stable sources of bright single photon emission, at room temperature [187][188][189].…”

Color centers in wide-bandgap semiconductors for subdiffraction imaging: a review

“…109 A laser magnetometer could achieve a very high contrast for the NV ODMR and prompt more practical applications of MRI using bulk diamond. STED has been applied to the study of a group of quantum emitters in 2D hBN, which presents a large variety of SP emission 110,111 from the UV to the NIR. These emitters have been recently identified as carbon related, 24 specifically a carbon-nitrogen substitution with boron vacancies.…”