Quantum Straintronics with Single Photon Emitters in van der Waals Materials

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Non-technical AbstractThis research team will investigate strong coupling between a single packet (quantum) of light called photon and an atomically thin mechanical oscillator which can move in many directions. Single photons which are emitted from these two-dimensional materials can be used to communicate private data in a more secure fashion than the state-of-the-art. Moreover, controllable stretching of these two-dimensional materials is expected to tune the properties of the emitted single photons. Unusual effects such as a single photon changing the frequency of the oscillator are expected and represent an unexplored regime of sensitivity. The understanding gained from such a study can be applied for future technologies based on quantum science such as quantum sensors which can outperform their classical counterparts. Integrated with the research, a research-oriented training course in Materials and Engineering Physics at Emory Physics is preparing undergraduate students as a part of the future generation of “quantum engineers and scientists” needed for the next quantum revolution. An annual summer program in partnership with historically black colleges and universities will be implemented to offer summer opportunities in the area of materials research to students from underrepresented communities with an eventual goal of preparing them for academic careers. In addition, public lectures on scientific topics will be conducted to engage the local community and inspire younger generation to choose careers in STEM. Technical AbstractThe behavior of a quantum system coupled to collective excitations of a solid such as vibrations is widely studied problem exploring the boundary between classical and quantum world. The recent discovery of atomically thin materials offers an ideal system to further our fundamental understanding of behavior of quantum hybrid systems. Owing to their extremely low mass, atomically thin mesoscopic oscillators have large quantum fluctuations in spite of their many degrees of freedom. This allows for very strong coupling to other quantum degrees of freedom such as single photons arising from quantum emitters present in such two-dimensional materials. The goal is to use dynamic, tunable mechanical strain as a means of creating and controlling quantum emitters in atomically thin materials, enabling unprecedented strong, quantum opto-acoustic coupling between them and creating a playground for simulating and sensing quantum behavior. In addition to exploring the behavior of quantum emitters and their coupling to mechanical strain, the goal is to also understand the role played by some of the defining features of atomically thin materials such as valley pseudospin, Berry curvature – an effective magnetic field in the reciprocal space, and strong Coulomb interactions. The understanding gained from this research should allow for possible on-chip scalability of quantum arrays featuring dynamic control besides furtherance of fundamental understanding of unexplored regimes of strong quantum opto-mechanical coupling in a system with strong Coulomb interactions. These features, which are absent in most other quantum emitters, add richness to scope of this project and offer potential novel functionalities for quantum science and technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.