Photonic Waveguide Circuit Integrated with Carbon Nanotube Single-Photon Source Operating at Room Temperature

Abstract

Photonic integrated circuits require robust room-temperature single-photon sources to enable scalable quantum technologies. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their unique excitonic properties and chemical tunability, are attractive candidates, but their integration into photonic circuits remains challenging. In this work, we demonstrate the integration of functionalized CNTs as room-temperature single-photon emitters into photonic cavities and waveguide circuits. (6,5) CNTs with aryl sp3 defects are either stochastically deposited via dropcasting or deterministically positioned on photonic cavities using an anthracene-assisted transfer method guided by real-time photoluminescence monitoring. Photoluminescence spectra reveal cavity-coupled, spectrally narrowed emission, while second-order autocorrelation measurements confirm single-photon propagation through the photonic integrated circuit, highlighting the potential of CNTs for scalable, room-temperature quantum photonic applications.