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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope
Published on: May 28, 2016
Multi-wavelength spin dynamics of defects in hexagonal boron nitride
Ivan Zhigulin1,2, Nicholas P Sloane3,4, Benjamin Whitefield1,2
1School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
Abstract:
Optically addressable solid-state spin defects are essential platforms for quantum sensing and information processing. Recently, single spin defects with combined S = 1 and S = ½ spin transitions were discovered in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). In this work we unveil their excitation dynamics. In particular, we study the effects of the excitation wavelength on the spin-dependent fluorescence and the spin dynamics of these peculiar quantum spin defects. We find that changing the excitation wavelength leads to a threefold enhancement in both the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast and the corresponding magnetic field sensitivity. In addition, we find that the excitation wavelength has a strong impact on the photodynamics of spin complex emitters. Our work presents valuable insights to the mechanistic understanding of spin complex emitters in hBN and highlights the importance of excitation wavelength for optimising their performance in quantum sensing and quantum technologies.
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