Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Rhombohedral boron nitride (rBN) is an emerging wide-bandgap van der Waals (vdW) material that combines strong second-order nonlinear optical properties with the structural flexibility of layered 2D systems. Here we show that rBN hosts optically-addressable spin defects and single-photon emitters (SPEs). Both are fabricated deterministically, using site-specific techniques, and are compared to their analogues in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Emission spectra in hBN and rBN are compared, and computational models of defects in hBN and rBN are used to elucidate the debated atomic structure of the B-center SPE in BN. Our results establish rBN as a monolithic vdW platform that uniquely combines second-order nonlinear optical properties, optically addressable spin defects, and high-quality SPEs, opening new possibilities for integrated quantum and nonlinear photonics.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Gale, Angus, Kianinia, Mehran, Horder, Jake, Tweedie, Connor, Singhal, Mridul, Scognamiglio, Dominic, Qi, Jiajie, Li, Kaihui, Verdi, Carla, Aharonovich, Igor, Toth, Milos
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6979295309
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: