Physicists study optically induced quantum dynamics in single-photon emitters

Hexagonal boron nitride (red: boron atoms, blue: nitrogen atoms) with a colour centre (blue-red) illuminated with ultrafast laser pulses ( green ) © WWU - Johann Preuß For tomorrow's quantum technologies: hexagonal boron nitride under the magnifying glass / findings published in -Optica - Quantum technologies are a seminal field of research, especially in relation to their application in communication and computing. In particular, the so-called single-photon emitters - materials that emit single light quanta in quick sequence - are an important building block for such applications. Photons are an excellent means of transmitting data in a fast and secure manner. However, it is necessary to have a sound physical understanding of the structure of the single-photon emitter and how to control them. Therefore, a team of physicists from the University of Münster in Germany and Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Wrocław Tech) in Poland has undertaken the first systematic study of the ultrafast control of single-photon emitters in the two-dimensional material -hexagonal boron nitride- (hBN) using laser pulses. Here, -ultrafast- means faster than one picosecond, which is one-trillionth of a second. The work has been published in the journal -Optica-.