Single photon extraction from defects in hBN using a tapered fiber (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

Efficient extraction of photons from quantum emitters is an important prerequisite for the use of such emitters in quantum optical applications as single photons sources or sensors. One way to achieve this is by coupling to a suited photonics structure, which guides away the emitter light. Here, we show the coupling of a single defect in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to a tapered optical fiber via a nanomanipulation technique [1]. Defects in hBN are capable of emitting single photons at room temperature while being photostable at the same time – two properties that make them ideal candidates for integration in single photon sources. The high control the manipulation technique provides avoids covering the whole nanofiber with emitters. We characterize the coupled system in terms of achievable count rates, saturation intensity, and spectral properties. Antibunching measurements are used to proof the single emitter nature of the defect. Our results pave the way for integration of single defects in hBN into photonic structure and their use as single photon sources in quantum optical applications such as quantum crypthography. [1] A W Schell et al., ACS Photonics, 4, 761–767 (2017)