NanoTechnology: Materials, Processes & Devices

Bulk gamma-InSe has a direct bandgap of 1.24 eV, which corresponds to near infrared (NIR) wavelengths (λ = 1.0 µm) useful in optoelectronic applications from biometric detectors to silicon photonics. However, its potential for optoelectronic applications is largely untapped due in part to the lack of quantitative studies of its optical properties. Here, we study the unusually low absorptance and high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of single-crystalline InSe flakes with thickness in the hundreds of nanometers. InSe emits brightly at room temperature from its direct bandgap with a peak...

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous, high surface area materials that consist of metal-cluster nodes connected by organic linkers to form highly ordered structures with various pore geometries and chemical properties. Due to their unique and tunable structure, MOFs have shown substantial promise in a broad range of applications, including chemical sensing, gas adsorption and separation, and catalysis. To investigate the intrinsic properties of MOFs for their sensing performance, single crystals are ideal platforms that mitigate the impact of defects, impurities, and grain...

Silicon, a mature platform for the semiconductor industry, has become a leading platform for future quantum technologies. As a high-purity material, it serves as a low-noise host for a variety of quantum defects. As a low-loss material, it is a desirable substrate and material platform for next generation quantum devices. However, the lack of piezoelectricity in silicon, due to its centro-symmetric structure, poses challenges for its electromechanical applications. For example, one common approach to realize electromechanics in silicon relies on hybrid integration with a different...

Ultralong lifetimes of silicon nanomechanical resonators at cryogenic temperatures and microwave frequencies make them promising resources in quantum engineering. In this work, we propose a nanomechanical qubit achieving strong single-phonon level anharmonicity of 5 MHz without the need for coupling to an ancillary qubit of a hybrid quantum architecture. This qubit design combines a nano-machined silicon cantilever brought in proximity to a silicon surface using microelectromechanical actuators. The surface forces between the cantilever and the silicon surface provide an effective...