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Adhikari S, Smit R, Orrit M. Future Paths in Cryogenic Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2024; 128:3-18. [PMID: 38229590 PMCID: PMC10788914 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c06564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
In the last three decades, cryogenic single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy has provided average-free understanding of the photophysics and of fundamental interactions at molecular scales. Furthermore, they propose original pathways and applications in the treatment and storage of quantum information. The ultranarrow lifetime-limited zero-phonon line acts as an excellent sensor to local perturbations caused either by intrinsic dynamical degrees of freedom, or by external perturbations, such as those caused by electric fields, elastic and acoustic deformations, or light-induced dynamics. Single aromatic hydrocarbon molecules, being sensitive to nanoscale probing at nanometer scales, are potential miniaturized platforms for integrated quantum photonics. In this Perspective, we look back at some of the past advances in cryogenic optical microscopy and propose some perspectives for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert Smit
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Orrit
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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DeLange J, Barua K, Paul AS, Ohadi H, Zwiller V, Steinhauer S, Alaeian H. Highly-excited Rydberg excitons in synthetic thin-film cuprous oxide. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16881. [PMID: 37803008 PMCID: PMC10558487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41465-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cuprous oxide ([Formula: see text]) has recently emerged as a promising material in solid-state quantum technology, specifically for its excitonic Rydberg states characterized by large principal quantum numbers (n). The significant wavefunction size of these highly-excited states (proportional to [Formula: see text]) enables strong long-range dipole-dipole (proportional to [Formula: see text]) and van der Waals interactions (proportional to [Formula: see text]). Currently, the highest-lying Rydberg states are found in naturally occurring [Formula: see text]. However, for technological applications, the ability to grow high-quality synthetic samples is essential. The fabrication of thin-film [Formula: see text] samples is of particular interest as they hold potential for observing extreme single-photon nonlinearities through the Rydberg blockade. Nevertheless, due to the susceptibility of high-lying states to charged impurities, growing synthetic samples of sufficient quality poses a substantial challenge. This study successfully demonstrates the CMOS-compatible synthesis of a [Formula: see text] thin film on a transparent substrate that showcases Rydberg excitons up to [Formula: see text] which is readily suitable for photonic device fabrications. These findings mark a significant advancement towards the realization of scalable and on-chip integrable Rydberg quantum technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob DeLange
- Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Kinjol Barua
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Anindya Sundar Paul
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Hamid Ohadi
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Val Zwiller
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stephan Steinhauer
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hadiseh Alaeian
- Department of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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3
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Nonahal M, Horder J, Gale A, Ding L, Li C, Hennessey M, Ha ST, Toth M, Aharonovich I. Deterministic Fabrication of a Coupled Cavity-Emitter System in Hexagonal Boron Nitride. NANO LETTERS 2023. [PMID: 37418703 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Light-matter interactions in optical cavities underpin many applications of integrated quantum photonics. Among various solid-state platforms, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is gaining considerable interest as a compelling van der Waals host of quantum emitters. However, progress to date has been limited by an inability to engineer simultaneously an hBN emitter and a narrow-band photonic resonator at a predetermined wavelength. Here, we overcome this problem and demonstrate deterministic fabrication of hBN nanobeam photonic crystal cavities with high quality factors over a broad spectral range (∼400 to 850 nm). We then fabricate a monolithic, coupled cavity-emitter system designed for a blue quantum emitter that has an emission wavelength of 436 nm and is induced deterministically by electron beam irradiation of the cavity hotspot. Our work constitutes a promising path to scalable on-chip quantum photonics and paves the way to quantum networks based on van der Waals materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Nonahal
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Jake Horder
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Angus Gale
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Lu Ding
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Kinesis 138635 Singapore
| | - Chi Li
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Madeline Hennessey
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Son Tung Ha
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Kinesis 138635 Singapore
| | - Milos Toth
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
| | - Igor Aharonovich
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales 2007, Australia
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4
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Ren P, Wei S, Liu W, Lin S, Tian Z, Huang T, Tang J, Shi Y, Chen XW. Photonic-circuited resonance fluorescence of single molecules with an ultrastable lifetime-limited transition. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3982. [PMID: 35810195 PMCID: PMC9271078 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31603-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Resonance fluorescence as the emission of a resonantly-excited two-level quantum system promises indistinguishable single photons and coherent high-fidelity quantum-state manipulation of the matter qubit, which underpin many quantum information processing protocols. Real applications of the protocols demand high degrees of scalability and stability of the experimental platform, and thus favor quantum systems integrated on one chip. However, the on-chip solution confronts several formidable challenges compromising the scalability prospect, such as the randomness, spectral wandering and scattering background of the integrated quantum systems near heterogeneous and nanofabricated material interfaces. Here we report an organic-inorganic hybrid integrated quantum photonic platform that circuits background-free resonance fluorescence of single molecules with an ultrastable lifetime-limited transition. Our platform allows a collective alignment of the dipole orientations of many isolated molecules with the photonic waveguide. We demonstrate on-chip generation, beam splitting and routing of resonance-fluorescence single photons with a signal-to-background ratio over 3000 in the waveguide at the weak excitation limit. Crucially, we show the photonic-circuited single molecules possess a lifetime-limited-linewidth transition and exhibit inhomogeneous spectral broadenings of only about 5% over hours' measurements. These findings and the versatility of our platform pave the way for scalable quantum photonic networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penglong Ren
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangming Wei
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Weixi Liu
- Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory for Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shupei Lin
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohua Tian
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Tailin Huang
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianwei Tang
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China. .,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yaocheng Shi
- Centre for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, State Key Laboratory for Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Xue-Wen Chen
- School of Physics and Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China. .,Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Schofield RC, Burdekin P, Fasoulakis A, Devanz L, Bogusz DP, Hoggarth RA, Major KD, Clark AS. Narrow and stable single photon emission from dibenzoterrylene in para-terphenyl nanocrystals. Chemphyschem 2021; 23:e202100809. [PMID: 34905640 PMCID: PMC9302619 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Single organic molecules are promising photon sources for quantum technologies. In this work we show photon emission from dibenzoterrylene, a widely used organic emitter, in a new host matrix, para‐terphenyl. We present a reprecipitation growth method that produces para‐terphenyl nanocrystals which are ideal for integration into nanophotonic devices due to their small size. We characterise the optical properties of dibenzoterrylene in nanocrystals at room and cryogenic temperatures, showing bright, narrow emission from a single molecule. Spectral data on the vibrational energies is presented and a further 25 additional molecules are characterised. This emitter‐host combination has potential for quantum technology purposes with wavelengths suitable for interfacing with quantum memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Kyle D Major
- Imperial College London, Physics, UNITED KINGDOM
| | - Alex S Clark
- Imperial College London, Physics, UNITED KINGDOM
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6
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Toninelli C, Gerhardt I, Clark AS, Reserbat-Plantey A, Götzinger S, Ristanović Z, Colautti M, Lombardi P, Major KD, Deperasińska I, Pernice WH, Koppens FHL, Kozankiewicz B, Gourdon A, Sandoghdar V, Orrit M. Single organic molecules for photonic quantum technologies. NATURE MATERIALS 2021; 20:1615-1628. [PMID: 33972762 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-00987-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Isolating single molecules in the solid state has allowed fundamental experiments in basic and applied sciences. When cooled down to liquid helium temperature, certain molecules show transition lines that are tens of megahertz wide, limited by only the excited-state lifetime. The extreme flexibility in the synthesis of organic materials provides, at low costs, a wide palette of emission wavelengths and supporting matrices for such single chromophores. In the past few decades, their controlled coupling to photonic structures has led to an optimized interaction efficiency with light. Molecules can hence be operated as single-photon sources and as nonlinear elements with competitive performance in terms of coherence, scalability and compatibility with diverse integrated platforms. Moreover, they can be used as transducers for the optical read-out of fields and material properties, with the promise of single-quanta resolution in the sensing of charges and motion. We show that quantum emitters based on single molecules hold promise to play a key role in the development of quantum science and technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Toninelli
- CNR-INO, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
- LENS, European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - I Gerhardt
- Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (IQST) and 3rd Institute of Physics, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - A S Clark
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - A Reserbat-Plantey
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, Spain
| | - S Götzinger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany
- Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Z Ristanović
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - M Colautti
- CNR-INO, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- LENS, European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - P Lombardi
- CNR-INO, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- LENS, European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - K D Major
- Centre for Cold Matter, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - I Deperasińska
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - W H Pernice
- Physikalisches Institut, Westfälische Wilhelms, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - F H L Koppens
- ICFO - Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels, Spain
- ICREA - Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - B Kozankiewicz
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - V Sandoghdar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany
- Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Orrit
- Huygens-Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, LION, Leiden, The Netherlands
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7
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Shkarin A, Rattenbacher D, Renger J, Hönl S, Utikal T, Seidler P, Götzinger S, Sandoghdar V. Nanoscopic Charge Fluctuations in a Gallium Phosphide Waveguide Measured by Single Molecules. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:133602. [PMID: 33861100 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.133602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We present efficient evanescent coupling of single organic molecules to a gallium phosphide (GaP) subwavelength waveguide (nanoguide) decorated with microelectrodes. By monitoring their Stark shifts, we reveal that the coupled molecules experience fluctuating electric fields. We analyze the spectral dynamics of different molecules over a large range of optical powers in the nanoguide to show that these fluctuations are light-induced and local. A simple model is developed to explain our observations based on the optical activation of charges at an estimated mean density of 2.5×10^{22} m^{-3} in the GaP nanostructure. Our work showcases the potential of organic molecules as nanoscopic sensors of the electric charge as well as the use of GaP nanostructures for integrated quantum photonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Shkarin
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Jan Renger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Hönl
- IBM Research Europe, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Utikal
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Paul Seidler
- IBM Research Europe, Säumerstrasse 4, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Götzinger
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT), Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vahid Sandoghdar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
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