Site-controlled telecom-wavelength single-photon emitters in atomically-thin MoTe2

Huan Zhao; Michael T Pettes; Yu Zheng; Han Htoon

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-27033-w

Site-controlled telecom-wavelength single-photon emitters in atomically-thin MoTe₂

Nat Commun. 2021 Nov 19;12(1):6753. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-27033-w.

Authors

Huan Zhao¹, Michael T Pettes², Yu Zheng², Han Htoon³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA. huanzha@lanl.gov.
² Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA.
³ Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Materials Physics and Applications Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA. htoon@lanl.gov.

Abstract

Quantum emitters (QEs) in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) have advanced to the forefront of quantum communication and transduction research. To date, QEs capable of operating in O-C telecommunication bands have not been demonstrated in TMDCs. Here we report site-controlled creation of telecom QEs emitting over the 1080 to 1550 nm telecommunication wavelength range via coupling of 2D molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂) to strain inducing nano-pillar arrays. Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiments conducted at 10 K reveal clear photon antibunching with 90% single-photon purity. The photon antibunching can be observed up to liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). Polarization analysis further reveals that while some QEs display cross-linearly polarized doublets with ~1 meV splitting resulting from the strain induced anisotropic exchange interaction, valley degeneracy is preserved in other QEs. Valley Zeeman splitting as well as restoring of valley symmetry in cross-polarized doublets are observed under 8 T magnetic field.