Experiments conducted at Montana State University in collaboration with Columbia University and the Honda Research Institute have resulted in the emission of single photons of light in a new type of quantum material—a feat that could lead to the development of controllable light sources for use in quantum technologies.

A comprehensive article about the breakthrough was published in the journal Nature Communications. It describes ultra small, two-dimensional, ribbon-shaped materials measuring one atom thick and tens of atoms wide—about a thousand times narrower than the width of a human hair.

The nanoribbons were grown by the Honda Research Institute, stretched over specialized surfaces developed by Columbia to stimulate photon emission, then manipulated and tested by the MSU team, which analyzed and described the nanoribbons’ characteristics, including their ability to emit single photons.