Polarization-Aligned, Spectrally Consistent Quantum Emitters in As-Exfoliated Carbon-Doped Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Abstract

Solid-state quantum emitters constitute an essential building blocks of integrated quantum photonic circuits. Among potential emitter platforms, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) hosts single-photon emitters in an atomically thin lattice amenable to photonic integration. However, multi-step fabrication approaches, limited defect specificity, and poor emission wavelength repeatability limit the performance of hBN quantum light sources relative to established solid-state architectures. Developing methods to induce emitters that are both suitable for planar photonic devices and that exhibit consistent optical properties remains a key objective. In this work, we identify quantum emitters in as-exfoliated carbon-doped hBN that exhibit both stable and repeatable emission energies together with polarization-aligned dipoles. Owing to the high lattice crystallinity, these single-photon light sources demonstrate exceptional spectral stability with a standard deviation of 7 $μ$eV. The emission energy is reproducible and confined within a narrow range of 2.2825 ${\pm}$ 0.0042 eV. Notably, consistent dipole alignment for absorption and emission polarization suggests that the intrinsic defects are of the same nature. The color centers are observed in as-exfoliated hBN without any post-treatment, significantly facilitating further interfacing with planar photonic structures. These reproducible, polarization-aligned quantum emitters in as-exfoliated hBN provide a versatile platform for scalable integration, offering a pathway toward a broad range of quantum technologies.