3D Nanoarchitectured Hexagonal Boron Nitride with Integrated Single Photon Emitters

Two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is one of the most promising candidates to host solid-state single photon emitters (SPEs) for various quantum technologies. However, the 2D nature with an atomic-scale thickness leads to inevitable challenges in spectral variability caused by substrate disturbance, lattice strain heterogeneity, and defect variation. Here, three-dimensional (3D) nanoarchitectured hBN is reported with integrated SPEs from native defects generated during high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The 3D hBN has a quasi-periodic gyroid minimal surface structure and is composed of a continuous 2D hBN sheet with built-in convex and concave curvatures that promote the formation of optically active and thermally robust native defects. The free-standing feature of the gyroid hBN with a nearly zero mean curvature can effectively eliminate the substrate disturbance and minimize lattice strain heterogeneity. As a result, naturally occurring defects with a narrow SPE spectral distribution can be created and activated as color centers in the 3D hBN, and the density of the SPEs can be tailored by CVD temperature.