Deterministic integration of quantum emitters and optical cavities in a van der Waals crystal

James Liddle-Wesolowski; Otto Cranwell Schaeper; Nathan Coste; Benjamin Whitefield; Evan Williams; Helen Zhi Jie Zeng; Mehran Kianinia; Anastasiia Zalogina; Igor Aharonovich

arXiv · 2601.03803

Deterministic integration of quantum emitters and optical cavities in a van der Waals crystal

James Liddle-Wesolowski·Otto Cranwell Schaeper·Nathan Coste·Benjamin Whitefield·Evan Williams·Helen Zhi Jie Zeng·Mehran Kianinia·Anastasiia Zalogina·Igor Aharonovich

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Abstract

Single-photon emitters in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) combine bright optical emission with optically addressable spin states, offering a promising platform for integrated quantum photonics. However, their stochastic creation and spectral variability have prevented deterministic integration with photonic cavities. Here we demonstrate a fabrication protocol that enables precise, deterministic coupling of pre-selected visible emitters to circular Bragg grating (CBG) cavities in hBN. By patterning etched alignment markers and performing prefabrication confocal mapping, we locate emitters with sub-micron accuracy and design cavity geometries matched to their zero-phonon line wavelengths. The resulting devices show enhanced emission and reliable spectral alignment between emitter and cavity mode. This work establishes a deterministic cavity-emitter integration scheme in a van der Waals material and provides a scalable route towards on-chip quantum photonic and spin-based platforms using hBN.

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James Liddle-Wesolowski, Otto Cranwell Schaeper, Nathan Coste, Benjamin Whitefield, Evan Williams, Helen Zhi Jie Zeng, Mehran Kianinia, Anastasiia Zalogina, Igor Aharonovich. 2026-01-07. Deterministic integration of quantum emitters and optical cavities in a van der Waals crystal. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.03803

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