Enhancing Quantum Emissions from Atomically Thin Semiconductors with Metasurfaces

原子级薄半导体是指只有一个或几个单元格厚度的材料。它们可以通过从由弱束缚二维层组成的范德华材料上剥离层来制造，或者使用半导体工业中已经开发出来的化学工艺来生长。超表面是指一类平面光学，包括比光的波长还小的工程单元电池。原子薄材料与超表面的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。本项目将设计并实施超表面工程策略，以广播量子集体性现象导致的信号更亮等量子发射体，更好地控制发射方向和效率。拟议的项目将为研究生和本科生提供良好的培训机会，并为在量子技术方面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的变化，导致一种新的平面内超晶格，称为莫尔维尔超晶格。它们代表了最近几年出现的光子材料最令人兴奋的发展之一。在这个项目中，过渡金属二硫族云纹超晶格的量子发射将使用各种超表面来增强，绘制混合光子平台的新领域。具体目标包括(i)使用纳米天线广播云纹超晶格中的量子发射体阵列；（ii）利用手性超表面选择性激发谷极化发射体；（iii）利用零指数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的长期挑战。该计划将本科和研究生教育与前沿研究活动相结合。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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.