Issue 13, 2022

Spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride for strain sensing on nanopillar arrays

Abstract

Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has attracted much attention as a platform for studies of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale, especially in quantum nanophotonics. Recent efforts have focused on spin defects, specifically negatively charged boron vacancy (VB) centers. Here, we demonstrate a scalable method to enhance the VB emission using an array of SiO2 nanopillars. We achieve a 4-fold increase in photoluminescence (PL) intensity, and a corresponding 4-fold enhancement in optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast. Furthermore, the VB ensembles provide useful information about the strain fields associated with the strained hBN at the nanopillar sites. Our results provide an accessible way to increase the emission intensity as well as the ODMR contrast of the VB defects, while simultaneously form a basis for miniaturized quantum sensors in layered heterostructures.

Graphical abstract: Spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride for strain sensing on nanopillar arrays

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Dec 2021
Accepted
16 Mar 2022
First published
16 Mar 2022

Nanoscale, 2022,14, 5239-5244

Author version available

Spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride for strain sensing on nanopillar arrays

T. Yang, N. Mendelson, C. Li, A. Gottscholl, J. Scott, M. Kianinia, V. Dyakonov, M. Toth and I. Aharonovich, Nanoscale, 2022, 14, 5239 DOI: 10.1039/D1NR07919K

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