Room-Temperature Deep-UV Photoluminescence from Low-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride Prepared Using a Facile...

Area of Science:

• Quantum Science
• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics

Background:

• Defect characterization in low-dimensional materials is vital for quantum applications.
• Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a key 2D material with potential in electronics and quantum devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile synthesis method for clean low-dimensional h-BN.
• To investigate the optical and defect-related light emission properties of synthesized h-BN.

Main Methods:

• Facile synthesis and thermal annealing of multilayered h-BN.
• Characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• Photoluminescence (PL) measurements at room temperature to study defect emission.

Main Results:

• Optimized annealing yielded clean multilayered h-BN with an optical energy gap of 5.28 eV.
• Defects in h-BN exhibit photoluminescence at 4.18 eV (deep-UV) and 3.44 eV (UV).
• PL intensity showed oscillatory dependence on excitation energy; spectral lines modeled by Franck-Condon transitions.

Conclusions:

• A facile synthesis route for clean h-BN was established, simplifying preparation.
• The identified defect emission properties are significant for developing quantum devices and 2D electronics.
• Understanding defect levels is crucial for harnessing h-BN in advanced quantum technologies.