Radiative electronic bound states in the continuum discovered in semiconductor defects

Summary

This research article demonstrates that continuum-buried defect states in semiconductors, previously thought to be optically inactive, can actually host radiative electronic bound states in the continuum (BICs). Using the silicon G-center as a prototypical example and hybrid-functional first-principles calculations with Hubbard U correction, the authors show that a localized defect state buried below the valence band maximum undergoes exchange-driven energy-level reordering under optical excitation, shifting above the VBM. This exchange-induced transition suppresses nonradiative decay and enables robust radiative emission. The study quantitatively reproduces experimental temperature-dependent photoluminescence lifetimes, establishing electronic BICs as a general paradigm for designing defect-based quantum emitters and qubits.