Single-atom vacancies in atomically thin insulators created in ultra-high vacuum

Single photons have applications in quantum computation, information networks, and sensors, and these can be emitted by defects in the atomically thin insulator hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Missing nitrogen atoms have been suggested to be the atomic structure responsible for this activity, but it is difficult to controllably remove them. A team at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Vienna has now shown that single atoms can be kicked out using a scanning transmission electron microscope under ultra-high vacuum. The results are published in the journal Small.