An NV-hosting nanodiamond on an AFM tip probes a topological waveguide. Suppressing RCP emission at 710 nm reveals regions supporting chiral modes (fringes in right image).
Researchers at 海角社区 have shown how a quantum emitter, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond, interacts in unexpected ways with a specially engineered photonic structure when moved around with a scanning tip. The study, led by Carlos A. Meriles, Martin and Michele Cohen Professor of Physics in the Division of Science and entitled 鈥淓mission of Nitrogen鈥揤acancy Centres in Diamond Shaped by Topological Photonic Waveguide Modes,鈥 appears in the journal .
What has long been considered a drawback of the NV center鈥攊ts broad and messy emission spectrum鈥攖urns out to enable a new type of coupling that reshapes its light in ways not seen before. This discovery has fundamental importance for quantum information technologies, since such coupling could help overcome long-standing challenges like spectral diffusion and open pathways toward robust spin鈥損hoton and spin鈥搒pin entanglement on a chip.
At the same time, the work demonstrates a novel sensing capability: by analyzing the NV emission, the team could reconstruct detailed, polarization-resolved images of the photonic modes with remarkable contrast.
鈥淏eyond photonic structures, this polarization sensitivity could eventually be applied to detecting chiral molecules, which are central to biology and medicine,鈥 said Meriles.
He added that follow-up research will continue along both directions鈥攑robing quantum emitter鈥搒tructure interactions more deeply and developing new sensing applications based on the same principles.
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Jay Mwamba
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jmwamba@ccny.cuny.edu