Control of many quantum optical processes require a source of indistinguishable photons. Single photon sources with a narrowband lifetime limited emission linewidth and well-defined polarization can approach the properties of the ideal coherent quantum emitters required for quantum photonics applications. We are exploring the quantum light emission from color centers in hexagonal boron nitride as candidate single photon sources for quantum limited imaging and photon amplification. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a van der Waals material with a large band gap of 6 eV which has played a pivotal role in the development of 2D materials-based devices as a gate dielectric and atomically smooth substrate. Color centers in h-BN act as single photon emitters in the visible range exhibit stability at high temperatures and with high Debye-Waller factors. We are currently investigating the integration of hBN single photon sources into chip-based nanophotonic circuits with an aim to employ these as elements for quasi-noiseless amplification of weak optical signals.
