Design and Optimization of Single-Photon Emitters in Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides Coupled with Plasmonic Structures

• Grant number: 25/00980-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: January 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Euclydes Marega Junior
• Grantee: Matheus Fernandes Sousa Lemes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/03311-3 - Extreme behavior of light-matter interaction in plasmonic nanostructures coupled with 2D materials, AP.R

Abstract

The development of efficient single-photon emitters (SPEs) is essential for advancing quantum technologies, including quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and secure communication systems. Two-dimensional (2D) materials, particularly transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), have emerged as a promising platform for SPEs due to their tunable optical properties, atomically thin structure, and ability to host quantum emitters via defect and strain engineering. However, challenges such as low quantum yield, poor emission directionality, and limited photon indistinguishability hinder their practical application. This PhD project aims to address these limitations by integrating 2D material-based SPEs with plasmonic nanostructures, such as metallic nanogratings, to enhance their performance. Plasmonic structures will enable significant field enhancement through the Purcell effect, improving emission rates, stability, and photon collection efficiency, while their tunable resonances allow precise spectral and spatial control. Optical characterization, including photoluminescence spectroscopy, time-resolved measurements, and second-order correlation analysis, will be performed to evaluate key parameters such as single-photon purity, brightness, and coherence. Collaborating with Prof. Dr. Andras Kis and the Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) group at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) will provide access to cutting-edge infrastructure and advanced characterization techniques to correlate structural and optical properties of the emitters. Ultimately, this project aims to demonstrate a scalable and integrable single-photon source with enhanced performance, contributing to the development of novel quantum technologies based on single-photon devices. (AU)