Energy-Transfer-Enhanced Emission and Quantum Sensing of VB- Defects in hBN-PbI2 Heterostructures

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2602.02256v1
• Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:01:45 GMT
• Title: Energy-Transfer-Enhanced Emission and Quantum Sensing of VB- Defects in hBN-PbI2 Heterostructures
• Authors: Eveline Mayner, Yaroslav Zhumagulov, Cristian de Giorgio, Feihong Chu, Prabhu Swain, Georg Fantner, Andras Kis, Oleg Yazyev, Aleksandra Radenovic,
• Abstract summary: Spin defects in two-dimensional materials hold significant potential for quantum information technologies and sensing applications.<n>This work establishes a proof-of-concept for amplifying weak defect signals in nanomaterials, highlighting a new strategy for engineering their optical and magnetic responses.
• Score: 31.458406135473805
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
• Abstract: Spin defects in two-dimensional materials hold significant potential for quantum information technologies and sensing applications. The negatively charged boron vacancy (VB-) in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has attracted considerable attention as a quantum sensor due to its demonstrated sensitivity to temperature, magnetic fields, and pressure.1 However, its applications have thus far been limited by inherently dim photoluminescence (PL). By fabricating a van der Waals heterostructure with a sensitizing donor layer, lead iodide (PbI2), we effectively enhance the PL intensity from the VB- by 5-45x, while maintaining compatibility with other heterostructures and vdW optoelectronic platforms. The type-I band alignment at the heterojunction enables efficient exciton migration while suppressing back-electron transfer, and the strong spectral overlap between the PbI2 emission and defect absorption supports efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Ab initio density functional theory (DFT) predicts a photon-ratcheting mechanism that boosts absorption and emission while maintaining magnetic resonance (ODMR) contrast through minimal hybridization. Experimentally, the heterostructure exhibits enhanced continuous-wave ODMR sensitivity and functions as a precise probe of external magnetic fields. This work establishes a proof-of-concept for amplifying weak defect signals in nanomaterials, highlighting a new strategy for engineering their optical and magnetic responses.

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