Abstract
Abstract In recent years, mono-layers and multi-layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have been demonstrated as host materials for localized atomic defects that can be used as emitters for ultra-bright, non-classical light. The origin of the emission, however, is still subject to debate. Based on measurements of photon statistics, lifetime and polarization on selected emitters, we find that these atomic defects do not act as pure single photon emitters. Our results strongly and consistently indicate that each zero phonon line of individual emitters comprises two independent electronic transitions. These results give new insights into the nature of the observed emission and hint at a double defect nature of emitters in multi-layer hBN.
Highlights
Two-dimensional van der Waals materials have emerged as promising platforms for optoelectronics [1,2,3], candidates for future UV-LEDs [4, 5] and host materials for emitters of non-classical light [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]
In recent years, mono-layers and multi-layers of hexagonal boron nitride have been demonstrated as host materials for localized atomic defects that can be used as emitters for ultra-bright, non-classical light
Based on measurements of photon statistics, lifetime and polarization on selected emitters, we find that these atomic defects do not act as pure single photon emitters
Summary
Two-dimensional van der Waals materials have emerged as promising platforms for optoelectronics [1,2,3], candidates for future UV-LEDs [4, 5] and host materials for emitters of non-classical light [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15]. It is widely believed that at the origin of the emission are localized defects in the host material that give rise to electronic transitions between discrete energy levels within the band gap, as it is the case for color centers in diamond [17, 18]. The emitters selected in this work fulfill these criteria and exhibit spectra consisting of an asymmetric zero phonon line (ZPL) and a phonon side band approximately 165 meV red shifted from the ZPL. This energy shift corresponds to a well-known phonon mode in hBN [23,24,25]. We further confirm the existence of double defects via measuring polarizationdependent spectra and performing time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements
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