en.Wedoany.com Reported - In collaboration with the University of Minnesota and Kyung Hee University, the University of Technology Sydney has achieved new progress in the control of quantum light sources, with the findings published in Science Advances. This research provides scientists with a mechanism to regulate miniature quantum light sources by twisting the layered structure of materials, with potential applications in practical quantum technologies such as quantum computing, secure communication, and ultra-sensitive sensing.
Dr. Angus Gale, the first author of the paper, noted that quantum emitters can be measured and observed, but practical application remains highly challenging. This discovery offers a more targeted means of control, bringing us closer to realizing quantum technologies. In experiments, the research team was able to significantly alter the color and wavelength of emitted light, with changes far exceeding expectations. Unlike many experiments where devices are fabricated at a single twist angle and remain unchanged, the researchers could repeatedly pick up, twist, and restack the material—a relatively rare capability in this field.
The study leveraged the layered structural properties of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Dr. Gale stated that researchers can pick it up, stack it, twist it, and use this twisting to modify the emitter—something impossible with traditional crystalline materials like diamond or silicon carbide. This twistable platform enables remarkably significant emission shifts. Typically, the adjustable range in controlling these systems is very limited, but here the shift is far greater than conventional expectations. Instead of attempting to make hBN defects behave like traditional solid-state substrates, the team capitalized on its thin, layered, and twistable structural advantages.
Professor Igor Aharonovich, the supervising author, explained that twisting layered materials can unlock new physical phenomena. Combining two layers of otherwise unremarkable materials at a specific angle may yield an entirely different system. These materials could ultimately be used in quantum computing, communication, and quantum sensing, with applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, and GPS accuracy enhancement, giving scientists greater control over the building blocks needed for these applications.
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