A. Nick Vamivakas

Voltage-controlled quantum light from an atomically thin semiconductor

Although semiconductor defects can often be detrimental to device performance, they are also responsible for the breadth of functionality exhibited by modern optoelectronic devices. Artificially engineered defects (so-called quantum dots) or naturally occurring defects in solids are currently being investigated for applications ranging from quantum information science and optoelectronics to high-resolution metrology. In parallel, the quantum confinement exhibited by atomically thin materials (semi-metals, semiconductors and insulators) has ushered in an era of flatland optoelectronics whose full potential is still being articulated. In this Letter we demonstrate the possibility of leveraging the atomically thin semiconductor tungsten diselenide (WSe2) as a host for quantum dot-like defects. We report that this previously unexplored solid-state quantum emitter in WSe2 generates single photons with emission properties that can be controlled via the application of external d.c. electric and magnetic fields. These new optically active quantum dots exhibit excited-state lifetimes on the order of 1 ns and remarkably large excitonic g-factors of 10. It is anticipated that WSe2 quantum dots will provide a novel platform for integrated solid-state quantum photonics and quantum information processing, as well as a rich condensed-matter physics playground with which to explore the coupling of quantum dots and atomically thin semiconductors.

Nanoscale Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging of an Optical Antenna with a Single Diamond NV Center

Solid-state quantum emitters, such as artificially engineered quantum dots or naturally occurring defects in solids, are being investigated for applications ranging from quantum information science and optoelectronics to biomedical imaging. Recently, these same systems have also been studied from the perspective of nanoscale metrology. In this letter, we study the near-field optical properties of a diamond nanocrystal hosting a single nitrogen vacancy center. We find that the nitrogen vacancy center is a sensitive probe of the surrounding electromagnetic mode structure. We exploit this sensitivity to demonstrate nanoscale fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) with a single nitrogen vacancy center by imaging the local density of states of an optical antenna.

Observation of nitrogen vacancy photoluminescence from an optically levitated nanodiamond

We present what we believe to be the first evidence of nitrogen vacancy (NV) photoluminescence (PL) from a nanodiamond suspended in a free-space optical dipole trap at atmospheric pressure. The PL rates are shown to decrease with increasing trap laser power, but are inconsistent with a thermal quenching process. For a continuous-wave trap, the neutral charge state (NV(0)) appears to be suppressed. Chopping the trap laser yields higher total count rates and results in a mixture of both NV(0) and the negative charge state (NV(-).

Tip-enhanced Raman mapping of local strain in graphene

We demonstrate local strain measurements in graphene by using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). We find that a single 5 nm particle can induce a radial strain over a lateral distance of ∼170 nm. By treating the particle as a point force on a circular membrane, we find that the strain in the radial direction (r) is ∝ r−(2 3),in agreement with force-displacement measurements conducted on suspended graphene flakes. Our results demonstrate that TERS can be used to map out static strain fields at the nanoscale, which are inaccessible using force-displacement techniques.

Direct On-Chip Optical Plasmon Detection with an Atomically Thin Semiconductor

The determination to develop fast, efficient devices has led to vast studies on photonic circuits but it is difficult to shrink these circuits below the diffraction limit of light. However, the coupling between surface plasmon polaritons and nanostructures in the near-field shows promise in developing next-generation integrated circuitry. In this work, we demonstrate the potential for integrating nanoplasmonic-based light guides with atomically thin materials for on-chip near-field plasmon detection. Specifically, we show near-field electrical detection of silver nanowire plasmons with the atomically thin semiconductor molybdenum disulfide. Unlike graphene, atomically thin semiconductors such as molybdenum disulfide exhibit a bandgap that lends itself for the excitation and detection of plasmons. Our fully integrated plasmon detector exhibits plasmon responsivities of ∼255 mA/W that corresponds to highly efficient plasmon detection (∼0.5 electrons per plasmon).

Distance-dependent energy transfer between CdSe/CdS quantum dots and a two-dimensional semiconductor

Atomically thin semiconductors, such as the transition metal dichalcogenides, show great potential for nanoscale photodetection, energy harvesting, and nanophotonics. Here, we investigate the efficiency of energy transfer between colloidal quantum dots with a cadmium selenide core and cadmium sulfide shell and monolayer molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2). We show that MoSe2 effectively quenches the fluorescence of quantum dots when the two materials are in contact. We then separate the MoSe2 and quantum dots by inserting variable thickness hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) spacers and show that the efficiency at which the MoSe2 quenches fluorescence decreases as the h-BN thickness is increased. For distances d, this trend can be modeled by a 1/d4 decay, in agreement with theory and recent studies involving graphene.

Optical antenna enhanced graphene photodetector

We report on the integration of an individual, metal-based, plasmonic nano-antenna on a graphene photodetector. The device exhibits an electromagnetic resonance at a wavelength of 580 nm with well-defined polarization sensitivity. With no applied bias voltage, this antenna-coupled graphene photodetector features a responsivity of ∼17 nA/μW, which is four orders of magnitude higher than previously studied single antenna enhanced detectors. Finally, we measure a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼200 in a 1-Hz bandwidth, with an average photocurrent value of 1.2 nA.

Nano-optomechanics with optically levitated nanoparticles

Nano-optomechanics is a vibrant area of research that continues to push the boundary of quantum science and measurement technology. Recently, it has been realised that the optical forces experienced by polarisable nanoparticles can provide a novel platform for nano-optomechanics with untethered mechanical oscillators. Remarkably, these oscillators are expected to exhibit quality factors approaching . The pronounced quality factors are a direct result of the mechanical oscillator being freed from a supporting substrate. This review provides an overview of the basic optical physics underpinning optical trapping and optical levitation experiments, it discusses a number of experimental approaches to optical trapping and finally outlines possible applications of this nano-optomechanics modality in hybrid quantum systems and nanoscale optical metrology.

Localized emission from defects in MoSe 2 layers

Two-dimensional semiconducting analogues of graphene, like monolayer molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2), provide a rich platform for optoelectronics. We study sharp localized photoluminescence (PL) emission from exfoliated MoSe2 flakes. These emission signatures are present in single layers as well as bi- and few layer flakes at low temperatures. The PL from these defects saturate at a lower power than the neutral and charged excitons of the monolayer MoSe2 and are stable against multiple heating and cooling cycles. We study the Zeeman effect in these emitters through magneto-optical photoluminescence studies and derive a g-factor of around 4 which is similar to the delocalized excitons in MoSe2.

Basis-neutral Hilbert-space analyzers

Interferometry is one of the central organizing principles of optics. Key to interferometry is the concept of optical delay, which facilitates spectral analysis in terms of time-harmonics. In contrast, when analyzing a beam in a Hilbert space spanned by spatial modes – a critical task for spatial-mode multiplexing and quantum communication – basis-specific principles are invoked that are altogether distinct from that of ‘delay’. Here, we extend the traditional concept of temporal delay to the spatial domain, thereby enabling the analysis of a beam in an arbitrary spatial-mode basis – exemplified using Hermite-Gaussian and radial Laguerre-Gaussian modes. Such generalized delays correspond to optical implementations of fractional transforms; for example, the fractional Hankel transform is the generalized delay associated with the space of Laguerre-Gaussian modes, and an interferometer incorporating such a ‘delay’ obtains modal weights in the associated Hilbert space. By implementing an inherently stable, reconfigurable spatial-light-modulator-based polarization-interferometer, we have constructed a ‘Hilbert-space analyzer’ capable of projecting optical beams onto any modal basis.