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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Nature Communications

A van der Waals photon-ratchet for enhancing spin-defect emission and quantum sensing

  • E. Mayner
  • Y. Zhumagulov
  • C. de Giorgio
  • F. Chu
  • P. P. Swain
  • G. E. Fantner
  • A. Kis
  • O. V. Yazyev
  • A. Radenovic
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Abstract

Spin defects in two-dimensional materials are promising platforms for quantum information technologies and nanoscale sensing. The negatively charged boron vacancy ( VB− V B − ) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is particularly attractive due to its sensitivity to temperature, magnetic fields, and pressure, but its application is limited by intrinsically weak photoluminescence (PL). Here we demonstrate a van der Waals heterostructure that enhances the PL intensity of VB− V B − by up to 45× at 4 Kelvin while preserving compatibility with ultrathin optoelectronic platforms. A quasi type-I band alignment at the PbI ₂ –defected hBN interface facilitates efficient interlayer coupling to the defect, and strong spectral overlap supports fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Ab initio calculations indicate that this coupling enables a photon-ratcheting mechanism, in which optical absorption in PbI ₂ generates a nonlinear polarization that drives VB− V B − excitation. This process is compatible with interlayer energy transfer while maintaining minimal electronic and spin hybridization and preserving optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast. The heterostructure further exhibits improved sensitivity to external magnetic fields. These results establish a route for the enhancement of defect emission via interlayer optical coupling and introduce a general materials strategy for amplifying weak quantum defect signals in nanomaterials.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{mayner2026waals,
  title = {{A van der Waals photon-ratchet for enhancing spin-defect emission and quantum sensing}},
  author = {E. Mayner and Y. Zhumagulov and C. de Giorgio and F. Chu and P. P. Swain and G. E. Fantner and A. Kis and O. V. Yazyev and A. Radenovic},
  journal = {Nature Communications},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78802-4},
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78802-4},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - A van der Waals photon-ratchet for enhancing spin-defect emission and quantum sensing
AU  - E. Mayner
AU  - Y. Zhumagulov
AU  - C. de Giorgio
AU  - F. Chu
AU  - P. P. Swain
AU  - G. E. Fantner
AU  - A. Kis
AU  - O. V. Yazyev
AU  - A. Radenovic
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/22
JO  - Nature Communications
DO  - 10.1038/s41467-026-78802-4
UR  - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78802-4
AB  - Spin defects in two-dimensional materials are promising platforms for quantum information technologies and nanoscale sensing. The negatively charged boron vacancy ( V_B^− V B − ) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is particularly attractive due to its sensitivity to temperature, magnetic fields, and pressure, but its application is limited by intrinsically weak photoluminescence (PL). Here we demonstrate a van der Waals heterostructure that enhances the PL intensity of V_B^− V B − by up to 45× at 4 Kelvin while preserving compatibility with ultrathin optoelectronic platforms. A quasi type-I band alignment at the PbI ₂ –defected hBN interface facilitates efficient interlayer coupling to the defect, and strong spectral overlap supports fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Ab initio calculations indicate that this coupling enables a photon-ratcheting mechanism, in which optical absorption in PbI ₂ generates a nonlinear polarization that drives V_B^− V B − excitation. This process is compatible with interlayer energy transfer while maintaining minimal electronic and spin hybridization and preserving optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast. The heterostructure further exhibits improved sensitivity to external magnetic fields. These results establish a route for the enhancement of defect emission via interlayer optical coupling and introduce a general materials strategy for amplifying weak quantum defect signals in nanomaterials.
SN  - 2041-1723
ER  -