Abstract
The development of high-quality solid-state photon sources is essential to nano-optics, quantum photonics and related fields. A key objective of this research area is to develop tunable photon sources that not only enhance the performance but also offer dynamic functionalities. However, the realization of compact and robust photon sources with precise and wide-range tunability remains a long-standing challenge. Moreover, the lack of an effective approach to integrate nanoscale photon sources with dynamic systems has hindered tunability beyond mere spectral adjustments, such as simultaneous polarization control. Here we propose a platform based on quantum-emitter-embedded metasurfaces (QEMS) integrated with a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-positioned microcavity, enabling on-chip multidegree control of solid-state photon sources. Using MEMS–QEMS, we show that typically broadband room-temperature emission from nanodiamonds containing nitrogen-vacancy centres can be narrowed to 3.7 nm and dynamically tuned with ångström resolution. Furthermore, we design a wavelength–polarization-multiplexed QEMS and demonstrate polarization-resolved control of the MEMS–QEMS emission in a wide wavelength range (650–700 nm) along with polarization switching at submillisecond timescales. We believe that the proposed MEMS–QEMS platform can be adapted for most existing quantum emitters, significantly expanding their room-temperature capabilities and thereby enhancing their potential for advanced photonic applications.
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Data availability
All data that support the findings of the study are provided in the article and its extended data and Supplementary Information. Data are also available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge T. Yezekyan, O. Takayama and V. Zenin for assistance with the experiment. We also acknowledge the support from European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action grant 101064471 (Y.K.), Research Council of Norway grant 323322 (P.C.V.T.), Villum Fonden 50343 (C.M.) and Villum Kann Rasmussen Foundation (Award in Technical and Natural Sciences 2019) (S.I.B.).
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Y.K. and S.I.B. conceived the idea. Y.K. performed the theoretical modelling. Y.K., P.C.V.T., X.L. and R.M. fabricated the samples. Y.K. and X.L. with assistance from S.K. and C.M. performed the experimental measurements. Y.K., S.K., X.L., P.C.V.T., C.M. and S.I.B. analysed the data. S.I.B. and Y.K. supervised the project. Y.K. wrote the paper with contributions from all authors.
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Extended data
Extended Data Fig. 1 Fabrication process of MEMS-QEMS device.
a Deposition of a 150 nm Ag layer followed by a 20 nm SiO2 layer on a MEMS chip from 150 mm SOI wafer that are bonded to a support wafer. b Fabrication of the alignment gold markers through a combined process, including EBL, gold deposition, and lift-off. c Spin coating the solution of NVs-NDs onto the surface. d Locating the positions of NVs-NDs relative to the prefabricated alignment markers in a 100 × 100 μm2 area, using the dark-field microscope image and a developed precise alignment procedure. Subsequently, QEMS (that is, Bullseyes and multiplexed metasurfaces) are fabricated around NVs-NDs by EBL. e The support chip is removed by dissolving the waferbond with waferbond remover. f The DBR is fabricated by magnetron sputtering. g The DBR is mounted onto the MEMS mirror using Loctite 401. h The device is assembled with a PCB and wirebonded.
Extended Data Fig. 2 Experimental setup for characterizing MEMS-QEMS.
a Sample stage. A piezo-stage allows for locating NVs-NDs in MEMS-QEMS. Actuation voltages applied on MEMS-QEMS are controlled in real time via a computer-connected controller. b Excitation module. A 532 nm incident laser is used for exciting NV-NDs. Pulse laser is used for lifetime measurements. c Illumination module. Enabling finding the fabricated QEMS inside the microcavity. d Characterization module for measuring emission pattern, response time, stability, and decay-rate. Fluorescence photon rates are recorded using avalanche photo diodes (APDs), with excitation lasers filtered by a set of dichroic mirrors (DM) and a long pass filter (LPF). e Characterization module for acquiring spectra using the spectrometers (Ultra 888 USB3 –BV, Andor; QE pro, Ocean Optics). CW: continuous wave, RP: radial polarization converter, PBS: polarized beam splitter, PH: pinhole, DM: dichroic mirror, LP: linear polarizer, LPF: 550 nm long pass filter, BPF: 650 nm ± 5 nm, 670 nm ± 5 nm, and 700 nm ± 5 nm. FM: flip mirror, GM: galvanometric mirror. APD: avalanche photodiode.
Extended Data Fig. 3 The relationship between emission peak wavelength and voltage of channel C7 (under Vc) with a fine step of 50 mV.
The results show a quasi-linear relationship between the emission peak wavelength and the actuation voltage, featuring an average wavelength shift of 0.8 Å per 50 mV.
Extended Data Fig. 4 Dynamical tunable polarized solid-state photon sources under voltage Vc.
a Measured photon emission spectra with LPx and LPy polarizations under actuation voltage Vc. The grey shaded area indicates the normalized spectrum of the QEMS before integration into the MEMS-DBR microcavity. b Measured far- field emission patterns at λ = 650 nm, λ = 670 nm, and λ = 700 nm with different polarizations. The white circles indicate NA = 0.5.
Extended Data Fig. 5 Realization of simultaneous dual- emission peaks at 650 nm and 700 nm.
a Measured spectrum of photon emission exhibiting dual-emission peaks at 650 nm and 700 nm, by adjusting the gap distance to around 3.689 µm. The grey shaded area indicates the normalized spectrum of the QEMS before integration into the MEMS-DBR microcavity. b Measured far-field emission patterns at λ = 650 nm and λ = 700 nm with different polarizations. The white circles indicate NA = 0.5.
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Supplementary Figs. 1–7 and Tables 1–3.
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Kan, Y., Thrane, P.C.V., Liu, X. et al. Ångström-tunable polarization-resolved solid-state photon sources. Nat. Photon. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01709-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01709-x
