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Quantum Light Emission from Coupled Defect States in DNA-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes
Yu Zheng1, Younghee Kim1, Andrew C Jones1
1Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States.
ACS Nano
|June 1, 2021
Summary
Researchers created novel single-photon sources using functionalized carbon nanotubes. These guanine-functionalized single-wall carbon nanotubes (GF-SWCNTs) offer tunable quantum light emission for quantum technologies.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Photonics
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Solid-state single-photon sources are crucial for quantum information technologies.
- Quantum defects in materials are key to achieving single-photon emission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate single-photon emission from quantum defects in single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs).
- To investigate the mechanism of photon emission and explore tunability through functionalization.
Main Methods:
- Covalent functionalization of SWCNTs with guanine nucleotides in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) coatings.
- Low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy and photon-correlation measurements on individual guanine-functionalized SWCNTs (GF-SWCNTs).
- Theoretical modeling to identify exciton coupling mechanisms.
Main Results:
- GF-SWCNTs exhibit room-temperature single-photon emission.
- Multiple guanine defect sites collectively form exciton trapping potentials.
- Weak coupling between adjacent ssDNA strands leads to cross-correlations in photon emissions.
- Theoretical modeling identified exciton capture as the coupling mechanism.
Conclusions:
- GF-SWCNTs are a versatile platform for quantum light emitters.
- Engineered properties can be achieved by controlling the spatial pattern of nanotube functionalization sites via ssDNA base sequences.
- This work advances the development of solid-state single-photon sources for quantum applications.
