Photon Statistics as an Analytical Tool in Solid-State Defect Systems

Photon correlation spectroscopy is a versatile and widely used analysis technique with a broad history of applications ranging from molecular spectroscopy to exploration of fundamental quantum mechanical concepts. More recently, this method has been used to study quantum emission from defect complexes in solid-state systems for a variety of quantum technological applications. The predominant use of photon statistics in solid-state systems is as an indicator of single-photon emission, a desirable property for applications such as quantum key distribution and quantum repeaters. However, a more thorough analysis of photon statistics offers the potential to reveal characteristics of the system such as electronic structure, multi-level optical dynamics, and responses to external fields. We briefly discuss the history and development of photon correlation spectroscopy as a measurement tool and outline methods for proper acquisition and analysis of photon statistics. In addition, we use this analysis framework to study quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride and discuss how these methods can allow the determination of their electronic structure and optical dynamics.