Single-Photon Emission Achieved with Nanoribbons

Researchers at Montana State University, in collaboration with Columbia University and the Honda Research Institute, have demonstrated the emission of single photons from a new type of quantum material. This finding holds potential for developing controllable light sources in quantum technologies. The results were published in Nature Communications.

The study focuses on two-dimensional ribbon-shaped materials, one atom thick and tens of atoms wide—approximately a thousand times thinner than a human hair. The Honda Research Institute synthesized these nanoribbons, which were stretched over specially designed Columbia University surfaces to stimulate photon emission. The MSU team conducted tests on the nanoribbons, analyzing their properties and their ability to emit single photons.

When the Columbia and HRI teams approached us, we were very enthusiastic to investigate the new system. These first experiments revealed that microscopic areas of the material engineered by the Columbia team were capable of emitting single photons of light, launching a much bigger effort to develop the system further.

Nicholas Borys, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, College of Letters and Science, Montana State University

The MonArk NSF Quantum Foundry, a collaboration between Montana State University and the University of Arkansas, was established in 2021 with a $20 million National Science Foundation grant. It provides researchers with advanced fabrication and measurement tools to study 2D materials for quantum technologies. These facilities enable the rapid production of new materials, characterization of their properties, and testing of their performance in model quantum devices.

Three-dimensional materials, composed of stacked atomic layers, exhibit properties such as thermal and electrical conductivity and, in some cases, the ability to emit single photons. Two-dimensional materials, consisting of a single atomic layer, retain these properties while gaining enhanced behaviors due to their reduced dimensionality.

Although the single-photon emission capability of large 2D material sheets was previously known, the research team’s findings are the first to demonstrate this phenomenon in much smaller ribbon-shaped structures, according to Borys.

Our technology provides a new pathway for the synthesis of quantum nanoribbons with precise width control, leveraging their unique mechanical and electronic properties as a single photon light source to realize secure communication known as quantum communication.

Avetik Harutyunyan, Senior Chief Scientist, Honda Research Institute

The researchers encoded information onto a stream of individual photons generated by the nanoribbon material. They noted that such photon streams could enable encrypted communication between specific transmitters and receivers. These communications would be safe, they explained, because any attempt to eavesdrop would interfere with the quantum states being monitored by the receiver, introducing detectable faults.

Samuel Wyss, an MSU Ph.D. student and co-author of the study, who focused on nanoscale manipulation of the 2D materials, noted that these nanoribbons are unlike any other materials investigated thus far.

Studying the fundamental physics and these interactions in 2D semiconductors will allow us to engineer these materials for new electronic devices and unseen and unthought of applications.

Samuel Wyss, Study Co-Author and Ph.D. Student, Montana State University

Borys explained that the collaboration began approximately 2 ½ years ago when Columbia University and the Honda Research Institute (HRI) invited MonArk to conduct optical experiments on new ribbon topologies of 2D materials developed by Honda, composed of molybdenum and tungsten. After stretching the ribbons over structures provided by the Columbia team, MSU researchers studied how wrinkles in the materials interacted with light at ultracold temperatures near absolute zero.

The study provided valuable insights into 2D materials, with Borys describing the HRI nanoribbons as “potentially the highest quality of 2D materials we have studied.” He added that the team will continue to test their fundamental quantum boundaries.

There is a possibility of shrinking the ribbons further. We are going to gain a lot of insight into generating a single photon of light with 2D materials by studying these nanoribbon structures,” he further stated.

The MonArk team will also address challenges related to the industrial application of these materials. For instance, the team is exploring the use of an electrical source, such as a battery, as a photon-activation switch to address the rapid and random release of single photons. Additionally, MonArk is evaluating the nanoribbons’ performance on a quantum technology platform.

Borys credited the collaboration's success to James Schuck of Columbia University and Xufan Li of the Honda Research Institute.

He added, “It’s been very enriching and exciting working with the team at the Honda Research Institute. They are very motivated to see scientific discoveries rapidly translated into usable technologies. It has been a great experience for the students working on the project, with first results that are exciting for quantum technologies.

Journal Reference:

Li, X., et. al. (2024) Width-dependent continuous growth of atomically thin quantum nanoribbons from nanoalloy seeds in chalcogen vapor. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54413-9

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