Open AccessQuantum emission from localized defects in zinc sulfide
Author(s) -
Connor Stewart,
Mehran Kianinia,
Rodolfo Previdi,
Toan Trong Tran,
Igor Aharonovich,
Carlo Bradac
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
optics letters/optics index
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.524
H-Index - 272
eISSN - 1071-2763
pISSN - 0146-9592
DOI - 10.1364/ol.44.004873
Subject(s) - zinc sulfide , zinc , sulfide , common emitter , metastability , photon , materials science , optoelectronics , spectroscopy , photon counting , nanotechnology , optics , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , metallurgy , organic chemistry
Single-photon sources in solid-state systems are widely explored as fundamental constituents of numerous quantum-based technologies. We report the observation of single-photon emitters in zinc sulfide and present their photophysical properties via established spectroscopy techniques. The emitter behaves like a three-level system with an intermediate metastable state. It emits at ∼640 nm, and its emission is linearly polarized, with a lifetime of (2.2±0.8) ns. The existence of single-photon sources in zinc sulfide is appealing due to the well-established manufacturing techniques of the material, its versatile technological uses, as well as the availability of many zinc isotopes with potential for designing ad hoc emitter-host pairs with tailored properties.