Programmable DNA Quantum Defects in Carbon Nanotubes

Atomic defect centers in solid-state systems hold immense potential for many quantum technologies. However, achieving precise, high-quality defects in dense arrays remains a formidable challenge. In this talk, we present a photochemical creation of programmable, defect color center arrays in semiconducting carbon nanotubes The precision defect chemistry is achieved via the strategic substitution of thymine with halogenated uracil in DNA strands that helically wrap around the nanotube and subsequent photochemical triggering of the covalent functionalization. Diverging from guanine-induced sp 2 defects, our method introduces sp 3 defects with deep exciton traps, producing a bright photoluminescence band with a pronounced energy shift in carbon nanotubes. Defect placements can be systematically controlled by either spacer DNAs or DNA sequences with multiple halogenated nucleobases. By intertwining advanced molecular chemistry with quantum material sciences, our approach marks a key step in expanding the chemical toolbox to craft quantum defects for quantum information science, imaging, and sensing.