Defect polaritons from first principles

Abstract

Precise control over the electronic and optical properties of defect centers in solid-state materials is necessary for their applications as quantum sensors, transducers, memories, and emitters. In this study, we demonstrate, from first principles, how to tune these properties via the formation of defect polaritons. Specifically, we investigate three defect types -- CHB, CB-CB, and CB-VN -- in monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The lowest-lying electronic excitation of these systems is coupled to an optical cavity where we explore the strong light-matter coupling regime. For all defect systems, we show that the polaritonic splitting that shifts the absorption energy of the lower polariton is much higher than can be expected from a Jaynes-Cummings interaction. In addition, we find that the absorption intensity of the lower polariton increases by several orders of magnitude, suggesting a possible route toward overcoming phonon-limited single photon emission from defect centers. Finally, we find that initially localized electronic transition densities can become delocalized across the entire material under strong light-matter coupling. These findings are a result of an effective continuum of electronic transitions near the lowest-lying electronic transition for both pristine hBN and hBN with defect centers that dramatically enhances the strength of the light-matter interaction. We expect our findings to spur experimental investigations of strong light-matter coupling between defect centers and cavity photons for applications in quantum technologies.