This achievement removes one of the biggest roadblocks in quantum materials science and brings practical quantum devices much closer to reality.

Quantum emitters work by releasing single photons, individual packets of light, on demand. This ability is critical because quantum technologies rely on absolute control over light and information.

The problem has always been visibility and control. The exact atomic defects responsible for these emitters are incredibly small and difficult to observe. Scientists could either study how they emit light or examine their atomic structure—but not both at the same time.