Gabriele Grosso

Robust multicolor single photon emission from point defects in hexagonal boron nitride

We demonstrates engineering of quantum emitters in hBN multi-layers using either electron beam irradiation or annealing. The defects exhibit a broad range of multicolor room-temperature single photon emissions across the visible and the near-infrared ranges.

A MoTe 2 -based light-emitting diode and photodetector for silicon photonic integrated circuits

One of the current challenges in photonics is developing high-speed, power-efficient, chip-integrated optical communications devices to address the interconnects bottleneck in high-speed computing systems. Silicon photonics has emerged as a leading architecture, in part because of the promise that many components, such as waveguides, couplers, interferometers and modulators, could be directly integrated on silicon-based processors. However, light sources and photodetectors present ongoing challenges. Common approaches for light sources include one or few off-chip or wafer-bonded lasers based on III-V materials, but recent system architecture studies show advantages for the use of many directly modulated light sources positioned at the transmitter location. The most advanced photodetectors in the silicon photonic process are based on germanium, but this requires additional germanium growth, which increases the system cost. The emerging two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) offer a path for optical interconnect components that can be integrated with silicon photonics and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors (CMOS) processing by back-end-of-the-line steps. Here, we demonstrate a silicon waveguide-integrated light source and photodetector based on a p-n junction of bilayer MoTe2, a TMD semiconductor with an infrared bandgap. This state-of-the-art fabrication technology provides new opportunities for integrated optoelectronic systems.

Tunable and high-purity room temperature single-photon emission from atomic defects in hexagonal boron nitride.

Two-dimensional van der Waals materials have emerged as promising platforms for solid-state quantum information processing devices with unusual potential for heterogeneous assembly. Recently, bright and photostable single photon emitters were reported from atomic defects in layered hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), but controlling inhomogeneous spectral distribution and reducing multi-photon emission presented open challenges. Here, we demonstrate that strain control allows spectral tunability of hBN single photon emitters over 6u2009meV, and material processing sharply improves the single photon purity. We observe high single photon count rates exceeding 7u2009×u2009106 counts per second at saturation, after correcting for uncorrelated photon background. Furthermore, these emitters are stable to material transfer to other substrates. High-purity and photostable single photon emission at room temperature, together with spectral tunability and transferability, opens the door to scalable integration of high-quality quantum emitters in photonic quantum technologies.Inhomogeneous spectral distribution and multi-photon emission are currently hindering the use of defects in layered hBN as reliable single photon emitters. Here, the authors demonstrate strain-controlled wavelength tuning and increased single photon purity through suitable material processing.

Active 2D materials for on-chip nanophotonics and quantum optics

Abstract Two-dimensional materials have emerged as promising candidates to augment existing optical networks for metrology, sensing, and telecommunication, both in the classical and quantum mechanical regimes. Here, we review the development of several on-chip photonic components ranging from electro-optic modulators, photodetectors, bolometers, and light sources that are essential building blocks for a fully integrated nanophotonic and quantum photonic circuit.

Fast thermal relaxation in cavity-coupled graphene bolometers with a Johnson noise read-out

High sensitivity, fast response time and strong light absorption are the most important metrics for infrared sensing and imaging. The trade-off between these characteristics remains the primary challenge in bolometry. Graphene with its unique combination of a record small electronic heat capacity and a weak electron–phonon coupling has emerged as a sensitive bolometric medium that allows for high intrinsic bandwidths1–3. Moreover, the material’s light absorption can be enhanced to near unity by integration into photonic structures. Here, we introduce an integrated hot-electron bolometer based on Johnson noise readout of electrons in ultra-clean hexagonal-boron-nitride-encapsulated graphene, which is critically coupled to incident radiation through a photonic nanocavity with Qu2009=u2009900. The device operates at telecom wavelengths and shows an enhanced bolometric response at charge neutrality. At 5u2009K, we obtain a noise equivalent power of about 10u2009pWu2009Hz–1/2, a record fast thermal relaxation time, <35u2009ps, and an improved light absorption. However the device can operate even above 300u2009K with reduced sensitivity. We work out the performance mechanisms and limits of the graphene bolometer and give important insights towards the potential development of practical applications.A graphene–hBN heterostructure integrated onto a photonic crystal cavity shows enhanced bolometric response owing to improved light absorption and ultrafast thermal relaxation time.

Compact mid-infrared graphene thermopile enabled by a nanopatterning technique of electrolyte gates

resolution Cheng Peng,1, a) Dmitri K. Efetov,1, a) Sebastien Nanot,2, a) Ren-Jye Shiue,1 Gabriele Grosso,1 Yafang Yang,3 Marek Hempel,1 Pablo Jarillo-Herrero,3 Jing Kong,1 Frank H. L. Koppens,2, 4 and Dirk Englund1, b) Department of ELectrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States ICREA-Institució Catalana de Recerça i Estudis Avancats, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.

Quantum emission from atomic defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors

Non-classical light sources, such as atoms and atom-like emitters play central roles in many areas of quantum information processing with applications as single photon generators, sources for nonlinearity and quantum memories. Solid-state quantum emitters have attracted growing interest due to the promise of combining remarkable optical properties with the convenience of scalability [1]. In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in developing quantum emitter systems based on crystallographic defects in wide-bandgap semiconductors. Nitrogen vacancies (NV) in diamond were among the first studied systems due to the well-defined optical transitions as well as electronic spin states that can be controlled optically. Quantum spins in diamond are among the most advanced systems in solid state for quantum based technologies such as quantum computing or quantum sensing [2]. Nevertheless, solid-state quantum emitters are not only limited to diamond and efforts to engineer single photon emitters (SPE) based on atom-like defects in scalable system have expanded beyond NV centers in diamond. Similar quantum emitters have been discovered in many other wide-bandgap host materials, including silicon carbide (SiC), III-nitride semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN) and aluminum nitride (AlN), and layered materials such as hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) [1]. Here, we will review our recent progress in developing and characterizing new quantum emitters in wide-bandgap semiconductors, and consider their applications as quantum light sources and sensors.

High-purity single photon emitter in aluminum nitride photonic integrated circuit

Efficient, on-demand, and robust single photon emitters (SPEs) are important to a wide varity of applications in quantum information processing [1]. Over the past decade, color centers in solid-state systems have emerged as excellent SPEs [2] and have also been shown to provide optical access to internal spin states at room and cyogenic temperatures. Color centers in diamond [3] and silicon carbide [4] are among the most intensively studied SPEs. Recently, other cost-efficient wide-bandgap materials have become attractive as potential host materials. Theoretical calculations show that aluminum nitride (AlN) with a bandgap of 6.015 eV can serve as a stable environment for well isolated SPEs with optically accessible spin states [5].

Tunable quantum emission from atomic defects in hexagonal boron nitride

We demonstrate that strain control of exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride allows spectral tuning of single photon emitters over 6 meV. We propose a material processing that sharply improves the single-photon purity with g(2)(0) = 0.077, and brightness with emission rate exceeding 107 counts/sec at saturation.

Ultra-bright emission from hexagonal boron nitride defects as a new platform for bio-imaging and bio-labelling

Bio-imaging requires robust ultra-bright probes without causing any toxicity to the cellular environment, maintain their stability and are chemically inert. In this work we present hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) nanoflakes which exhibit narrowband ultra-bright single photon emitters1. The emitters are optically stable at room temperature and under ambient environment. hBN has also been noted to be noncytotoxic and seen significant advances in functionalization with biomolecules2,3. We further demonstrate two methods of engineering this new range of extremely robust multicolour emitters across the visible and near infrared spectral ranges for large scale sensing and biolabeling applications.