2024/10/17 by Xiliang Yang, Yang, Xiliang, Dong Hoon Shin +9 · 1 citation
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures #Photonic and Optical Devices
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2410.13505
openalex publication_date 2024/10/17 · openalex created_date 2024/10/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Crystal defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) are emerging as versatile nanoscale optical probes with a wide application profile, spanning the fields of nanophotonics, biosensing, bioimaging and quantum information processing. However, generating these crystal defects as reliable optical emitters remains challenging due to the need for deterministic defect placement and precise control of the emission area. Here, we demonstrate an approach that integrates microspheres (MS) with hBN optical probes to enhance both defect generation and optical signal readout. This technique harnesses MS to amplify light-matter interactions at the nanoscale through 2 two mechanisms: focused femtosecond (fs) laser irradiation into a photonic nanojet for highly localized defect generation, and enhanced light collection via the whispering gallery mode effect. Our MS-assisted defect generation method reduces the emission area by a factor of 5 and increases the fluorescence collection efficiency by approximately 10 times compared to MS-free samples. These advancements in defect generation precision and signal collection efficiency open new possibilities for optical emitter manipulation in hBN, with potential applications in quantum technologies and nanoscale sensing.