{"paper":{"title":"Insights into the Nature of Quantum Emitters in Electron-Irradiated hexagonal Boron Nitride","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"Electron irradiation of hBN produces intrinsic quantum emitters stable in layers thinner than 10 nm, distinct from organic contaminants.","cross_cats":["physics.app-ph","quant-ph"],"primary_cat":"physics.optics","authors_text":"Alexander H\\\"ogele, Anand Kumar, Anna Rupp, Bayarjargal N. Tugchin, Josefine Krause, Julien Ch\\'ened\\'e, Marijn Rikers, Mingi Kang, Mohammad N. Mishuk, Mouli Hazra, Thomas Pertsch, Tobias Vogl","submitted_at":"2026-05-12T19:10:44Z","abstract_excerpt":"Quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have emerged as a promising solid-state platform for quantum technology applications. However, a persistent challenge in the field is the unclear origin of many observed emission lines, particularly in the visible range, which can be difficult to distinguish from signals arising from organic or process-induced contamination during sample preparations and handling. This ambiguity limits both the reproducibility of emitter generation and the reliable identification of truly intrinsic quantum defects. This work provides a step-by-step framework to"},"claims":{"count":4,"items":[{"kind":"strongest_claim","text":"The combined results not only rule out organic contamination as the source of emission but also provide insight into the spectral variability, thermal stability, and vertical localization of the emitters generated in electron-irradiated hBN that was created without any pre- or post-processing.","source":"verdict.strongest_claim","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C1","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"weakest_assumption","text":"That the differential response to thermal annealing and oxygen plasma etching reliably distinguishes intrinsic defects from organic contaminants without the treatments themselves creating or destroying emitters in ways that mimic the expected contaminant behavior.","source":"verdict.weakest_assumption","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C2","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"one_line_summary","text":"Quantum emitters in electron-irradiated hBN are intrinsic material defects rather than organic contaminants, with demonstrated stability in sub-10 nm layers.","source":"verdict.one_line_summary","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C3","attestation":"unclaimed"},{"kind":"headline","text":"Electron irradiation of hBN produces intrinsic quantum emitters stable in layers thinner than 10 nm, distinct from organic contaminants.","source":"verdict.pith_extraction.headline","status":"machine_extracted","claim_id":"C4","attestation":"unclaimed"}],"snapshot_sha256":"a256452dbd2df800c1503c1232650d14783c787c7f4f92bbff577a7d5e72f5a1"},"source":{"id":"2605.12663","kind":"arxiv","version":1},"verdict":{"id":"3d0618b1-4e55-4c74-806b-a205c16d3da2","model_set":{"reader":"grok-4.3"},"created_at":"2026-05-14T19:51:44.144871Z","strongest_claim":"The combined results not only rule out organic contamination as the source of emission but also provide insight into the spectral variability, thermal stability, and vertical localization of the emitters generated in electron-irradiated hBN that was created without any pre- or post-processing.","one_line_summary":"Quantum emitters in electron-irradiated hBN are intrinsic material defects rather than organic contaminants, with demonstrated stability in sub-10 nm layers.","pipeline_version":"pith-pipeline@v0.9.0","weakest_assumption":"That the differential response to thermal annealing and oxygen plasma etching reliably distinguishes intrinsic defects from organic contaminants without the treatments themselves creating or destroying emitters in ways that mimic the expected contaminant behavior.","pith_extraction_headline":"Electron irradiation of hBN produces intrinsic quantum emitters stable in layers thinner than 10 nm, distinct from organic contaminants."},"references":{"count":65,"sample":[{"doi":"","year":2016,"title":"Hexagonal boron nitride is an indirect bandgap semiconductor,","work_id":"fccddaeb-fbdc-46cb-8a85-5da3fd27705e","ref_index":1,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2019,"title":"Blue-light-emitting color centers in high-quality hexagonal boron nitride,","work_id":"5e5cba02-5f07-45da-a4eb-7408b61f97c2","ref_index":2,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2022,"title":"Tailoring the emission wavelength of color centers in hexagonal boron nitride for quantum applications,","work_id":"048fa50f-f816-4dc6-9677-f625cf2f578e","ref_index":3,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2024,"title":"The hBN defectsdatabase:atheoreticalcompilationofcolorcenters in hexagonal boron nitride,","work_id":"88c2984a-40fa-4deb-baec-dff979614317","ref_index":4,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false},{"doi":"","year":2020,"title":"Observation of near- infrared sub-poissonian photon emission in hexagonal boron nitride at room temperature,","work_id":"527af7f4-682a-4bdb-bd0d-a82b9177808d","ref_index":5,"cited_arxiv_id":"","is_internal_anchor":false}],"resolved_work":65,"snapshot_sha256":"f948bd32197434a5caa60e6558ab63aed3babf536eab3c43c742e69940d6ffe9","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":2,"snapshot_sha256":"7059ca05c45c1edf7c548cb4545b64fb5791ddf883b31a8cd609ad27fb17e9fa"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}