Color center in β-Ga2O3 emitting at the telecom range

• Published in: Applied physics letters 2024-01, Vol.124 (4)
• Main Authors: Stehr, J. E., Jansson, M., Pearton, S. J., McCloy, J. S., Jesenovec, J., Dutton, B. L., McCluskey, M. D., Chen, W. M., Buyanova, I. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Color centers; Forbidden transition; Forbidden transitions; Gallium oxides; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Oxides; Photoluminescence; Photon emission; Physical properties; Quantum computing; Quantum information; Quantum phenomena; Qubits (quantum computing); Semiconductors; Telecommunications; Telecommunications engineering; Transition metals; Wide bandgap semiconductors
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0179921

Transition metal (TM) ions incorporated into a host from a wide bandgap semiconductor are recognized as a promising system for quantum technologies with enormous potential. In this work, we report on a TM color center in β-Ga2O3 with physical properties attractive for quantum information applications. The center is found to emit at 1.316 μm and exhibits weak coupling to phonons, with optically addressable higher-lying excited states, beneficial for single-photon emission within the telecom range (O-band). Using magneto-photoluminescence (PL) complemented by time-resolved PL measurements, we identify the monitored emission to be internal 1E→3A2 spin-forbidden transitions of a 3d8 TM ion with a spin-triplet ground state—a possible candidate for a spin qubit. We tentatively attribute this color center to a complex involving a sixfold coordinated Cu3+ ion.