Single-photon emitters in GaSe

Single-photon sources are important building blocks for quantum information technology. Emitters based on solid-state systems provide a viable route to integration in photonic devices. Here, we report on single-photon emitters in the layered semiconductor GaSe. We identify the exciton and biexciton transition of the quantum emitters with power-dependent photoluminescence and photon statistics measurements. We find evidence that the localization of the excitons is related to deformations of the GaSe crystal, caused by nanoscale selenium inclusions, which are incorporated in the crystal. These deformations give rise to local strain fields, which induce confinement potentials for the excitons. This mechanism lights the way for the controlled positioning of single-photon emitters in GaSe on the nanoscale. (letter)