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Superinjection in Diamond p-i-n Diodes: Bright Single-Photon Electroluminescence of Color Centers Beyond the Doping Limit

Igor A. Khramtsov and Dmitry Yu. Fedyanin*

  • Laboratory of Nanooptics and Plasmonics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russian Federation

  • *dmitry.fedyanin@phystech.edu
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Phys. Rev. Applied 12, 024013 – Published 7 August, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.12.024013

Abstract

Efficient generation of single photons on demand at a high repetition rate is a key to the practical realization of quantum-communication networks and optical quantum computations. Color centers in diamond and related wide-band-gap semiconductors are considered to be the most promising candidates for building such single-photon sources due to their outstanding emission properties at room temperature. However, efficient electrical excitation of color centers in most materials remains a challenge due to the inability to create a high density of free carriers. We predict a superinjection effect in diamond p-i-n diodes. By employing a comprehensive theoretical approach, we numerically demonstrate that one can overcome the doping problem in diamond and inject four orders of magnitude more electrons into the i region of the diamond p-i-n diode than the doping of the n region allows. This high density of free electrons can be efficiently used to boost the single-photon electroluminescence process and enhance the brightness of the diamond single-photon source by more than three orders of magnitude. Moreover, we show that such a high single-photon emission rate can be achieved at exceptionally low injection current densities of only 0.001A/mm2, which creates the backbone for the development of low-power and cost-efficient diamond quantum optoelectronic devices for quantum information technologies.

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Phys. Rev. Applied 12, 024013– Published 7 August, 2019
  • Received 5 January 2018
  • Revised 8 April 2019
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