Mapping Emission Directionality of Color Centers in Silicon Carbide Microparticles

Color centers in semiconductors constitute a promising platform for developing quantum technology applications. To fully mature the platform, strict requirements on controlling the directionality of photon emission must be met. This work presents a method for studying and evaluating geometric features that can impact the directionality of emission from color centers in semiconductors by leveraging different nanostructures in silicon carbide (SiC) microparticles. Using spectrally resolved and angle-resolved cathodoluminescence measurements, we demonstrate decoupling of the color center emission from other luminescence sources and investigate how geometric features affect emission directionality. Combined with finite difference time domain simulations, geometric effects on emission directionality in the SiC particles are explored using simulations of luminescence from idealized geometries. As such, we present a holistic approach to evaluate the directionality of emission from color centers, independent of the material system, by combining experimental measurements and numerical simulations, using SiC as a benchmark case.