Criteria for deterministic single-photon emission in two-dimensional atomic crystals

Journal article, 2020

The deterministic production of single photons from two-dimensional materials promises to usher in a new generation of photonic quantum devices. In this work, we outline criteria by which single-photon emission can be realized in two-dimensional materials: spatial isolation, spectral filtering, and low excitation of quantum emitters. We explore how these criteria can be fulfilled in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides, where excitonic physics dictates the observed photoemission. In particular, we model the effect of defects and localized strain, in accordance with the most common experimental realizations, on the photon statistics of emitted light. Moreover, we demonstrate that an optical cavity has a negative impact on the photon statistics, suppressing the single-photon character of the emission by diminishing the effect of spectral filtering on the emitted light. Our work provides a theoretical framework revealing criteria necessary to facilitate single-photon emission in two-dimensional materials and thus can guide future experimental studies in this field.