2025/12/03 by Fraunié Jules, M. M. Glazov, Jules, Fraunié +29
Materials Science · #Graphene research and applications #2D Materials and Applications #Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2512.03970
Boron vacancies (VB-) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have emerged as a promising platform for two-dimensional quantum sensors capable of operating at atomic-scale proximity. However, the mechanisms responsible for photoluminescence quenching in thin hBN sensing layers when placed in contact with absorptive materials remain largely unexplored. In this Letter, we investigate non-radiative Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between VB- centers and either monolayer graphene or 2D semiconductors. Strikingly, we find that the FRET rate is negligible for hBN sensing layers thicker than 3 nm, highlighting the potential of VB- centers for integration into ultra-thin quantum sensors within van der Waals heterostructures. Furthermore, we experimentally extract the intrinsic radiative decay rate of VB- defects.