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Quantum defects in carbon nanotubes as single-photon sources

Journal Article · · Communications Materials
Single-photon emitters are essential components of emerging quantum technologies, including secure communication and quantum computing. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have emerged as a promising platform for quantum light sources due to their quasi-one-dimensional excitonic host structure and compatibility with telecom photonic systems. Recent advances in deterministic defect engineering—most notably the development of organic color centers (OCCs)—have enabled stable, chemically controllable, and spectrally tunable single-photon emission. OCC-based emitters have demonstrated single-photon purity exceeding 99% and, more recently, room-temperature photon indistinguishability, placing them among the few solid-state systems with quantum-grade performance under ambient conditions. This review surveys progress in the field from three complementary perspectives: chemical synthesis and quantum defect engineering, computational studies of structure-property relationships and excitonic behavior, and experimental investigations of quantum optical properties. We also discuss alternative approaches, including air-suspended SWCNTs and hybrid van der Waals heterostructures, highlighting opportunities and open challenges for scalable integration into quantum photonic platforms.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
Other Award/Contract Number:
CHE-2204202
CHE-2506103
OSTI ID:
3019467
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--25-29912; 10.1038/s43246-026-01085-1; 2662-4443
Journal Information:
Communications Materials, Journal Name: Communications Materials Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 7; ISSN 2662-4443
Publisher:
Springer NatureCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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