Optical Gating of Photoluminescence from Color Centers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

[Image: see text] We report on multicolor excitation experiments with color centers in hexagonal boron nitride at cryogenic temperatures. We demonstrate controllable optical switching between bright and dark states of color centers emitting around 2 eV. Resonant, or quasi-resonant, excitation of photoluminescence also pumps the color center, via a two-photon process, into a dark state, where it becomes trapped. Repumping back into the bright state has a step-like spectrum with a defect-dependent threshold between 2.25 and 2.6 eV. This behavior is consistent with photoionization and charging between optically bright and dark states of the defect. Furthermore, a second zero phonon line, detuned by +0.4 eV, is observed in absorption with orthogonal polarization to the emission, evidencing an additional energy level in the color center.