Contamination of polymethylmethacrylate by organic quantum emitters

Abstract

We report the observation of ubiquitous contamination of polymethylmethacrylate by organic molecules with optical activity in the visible spectral range. Contamination sites of individual solvent-specific fluorophores in thin films of polymethylmethacrylate constitute fluorescence hot-spots with quantum emission statistics and quantum yields approaching 30% at cryogenic temperatures. Our findings not only resolve prevalent puzzles in the assignment of spectral features to various nanoemitters in polymer matrices, they also identify means for simple and cost-efficient realization of single-photon sources in the visible spectral range.