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arXiv · 2602.02256

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

Eveline Mayner·Yaroslav Zhumagulov·Cristian de Giorgio·Feihong Chu·Prabhu Swain·Georg Fantner·Andras Kis·Oleg Yazyev·Aleksandra Radenovic
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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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Eveline Mayner, Yaroslav Zhumagulov, Cristian de Giorgio, Feihong Chu, Prabhu Swain, Georg Fantner, Andras Kis, Oleg Yazyev, Aleksandra Radenovic. 2026-02-02. Energy-Transfer-Enhanced Emission and Quantum Sensing of VB- Defects in hBN-PbI2 Heterostructures. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.02256

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