Enhancing Quantum Emissions from Atomically Thin Semiconductors with Metasurfaces

原子薄半导体是指只有一个或几个晶胞厚度的材料。 它们可以通过从范德华材料上剥离层来创建，这些材料由弱结合的二维层组成，或者使用半导体行业已经开发的化学工艺来生长。超表面是指一类平面光学器件，其中包含小于光波长的工程晶胞。将原子厚度的材料与超表面集成为量子技术带来了令人兴奋的新机遇。例如，一次产生一个光子的量子发射器阵列可用于增强社区安全。在该项目中，将设计和实施超表面工程策略来广播此类量子发射器，例如由于具有更好控制的发射方向和效率的量子集体现象，信号变得更亮。拟议的项目将为研究生和本科生提供极好的培训机会，并为在量子技术领域进行全球竞争做好准备。技术：当两个原子薄的范德华层垂直堆叠在一起时，层之间的原子排列表现出周期性变化，从而产生一种称为莫尔超晶格的新型面内超晶格。它们代表了过去几年中刚刚出现的光子材料最令人兴奋的发展之一。在该计划中，将使用各种超表面来增强过渡金属二硫属化物云纹超晶格的量子发射，开辟混合光子平台的新领域。具体目标包括（i）使用纳米天线广播托管在莫尔超晶格中的一系列量子发射器； (ii) 使用手性超表面选择性激发谷偏振发射器； （iii）利用零折射率超表面实现集体量子发射。拟议的项目探索新型量子光子材料，有可能解决固态量子发射器长期存在的挑战。该计划将本科生和研究生教育与前沿研究活动相结合。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Atomically thin semiconductors refer to materials that are only one or a few unit-cell thick. They can be created by peeling off layers from van der Waals materials that consist of weakly bound two-dimensional layers or grown using chemical processes that have already been developed in the semiconductor industry. Metasurfaces refer to a class of flat optics that include engineered unit cells smaller than the wavelength of light. Integrating atomically thin materials with metasurfaces brings exciting new opportunities for quantum technology. As an example, an array of quantum emitters that generate one photon at a time can be used for enhancing community security. In this project, metasurface engineering strategies will be designed and implemented to broadcast such quantum emitters such as the signal is brighter due to quantum collective phenomena with better-controlled emission direction and efficiency. The proposed projects will provide excellent training opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students and prepare a workforce to compete globally in quantum technologies.Technical:When two atomically thin van der Waals layers are vertically stacked together, the atomic alignment between the layers exhibits periodical variations, leading to a new type of in-plane superlattices known as the moiré superlattices. They represent one of the most exciting developments of photonic materials that have just emerged in the last few years. In this program, the quantum emissions from transition metal dichalcogenides moire superlattice will be enhanced using various metasurfaces, charting new territories of hybrid photonic platforms. Specific goals include (i) broadcasting an array of quantum emitters hosted in moire superlattices using nano-antennas; (ii) selective excitation of valley polarized emitters using chiral metasurfaces; (iii) realizing collective quantum emission with zero-index metasurfaces. The proposed projects explore new types of quantum photonic materials with the potential to address long-standing challenges of solid-state quantum emitters. The program will integrate undergraduate and graduate education with cutting-edge research activities.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.