Tracking the creation of single photon emitters in AlN by implantation and annealing

In this study, we inspect and analyse the effect of Al implantation into AlN by conducting confocal microscopy on the ion implanted regions, before and after implantation, followed by an annealing step. The independent effect of annealing is studied in an unimplanted control region, which showed that annealing alone does not produce new emitters. Through tracking individual locations in a lithographically patterned sample, we observe that point-like emitters are created in the implanted regions after annealing. The newly created quantum emitters show anti-bunching under ambient conditions and are spectrally similar to the previously discovered emitters in as-grown AlN.