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Utilizing Ultraviolet Photons to Generate Single-Photon Emitters in Semiconductor Monolayers
Wei Wang1,2, Leighton O Jones3, Jia-Shiang Chen1,4
1Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States.
ACS Nano
|December 14, 2022
Summary
UV light creates single-photon emitters in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayers by forming sulfur vacancies in a vacuum. Defects formed in air lack quantum emission properties, highlighting the importance of environmental control for quantum applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Quantum Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Controlled creation of atomic defects in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is crucial for quantum optics and nanoelectronics.
- Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a key 2D material with potential for defect-based quantum applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a versatile method for generating single-photon emitters in MoS2 monolayers using ultraviolet (UV) light.
- To investigate the influence of the environment (vacuum vs. air) on defect formation and quantum emission properties.
Main Methods:
- Irradiation of MoS2 monolayers with UV light in both vacuum and air environments.
- Characterization of photoluminescence properties to identify single-photon emission.
- Theoretical calculations to determine the atomic structure and electronic properties of defects.
Main Results:
- UV light in a vacuum successfully generated single-photon emitters in MoS2, attributed to unpassivated sulfur vacancies.
- MoS2 irradiated in air did not exhibit single-photon emission, with defects likely passivated by oxygen.
- Theoretical analysis confirmed that localized midgap states of unpassivated sulfur vacancies cause single-photon emission.
Conclusions:
- Widely available UV light can be used to create quantum photon sources in MoS2 monolayers.
- Environmental control during defect engineering is critical for achieving desired quantum emission properties.
- Unpassivated sulfur vacancies are responsible for single-photon emission in UV-treated MoS2.
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