Single organic molecules in the solid-state are one of the promising optical platforms for realizing quantum networks owing to their remarkable coherent properties and flexibility in their chemical synthesis [1]. Specifically, their Fourier-limited zero-phonon line transitions at liquid helium temperatures provide bright single-photons and nonlinear interactions at the few-photon levels. However, the molecular excited states typically decay in the order of nanoseconds. This limits quantum coherence in these systems and emission rate of single photons, posing a challenge for practical applications in quantum technologies. In the first part of this talk, I will focus on the inherent optomechanical character of organic molecules in the solid-state for achieving long-lived quantum coherence in these systems. I will present a scheme consists of a single organic molecule in host matrix with a structured phononic environment [2]. By suppressing phononic decay channels, we realize and exploit long optomechanical coherence times up to milliseconds for storing and retrieving information. I will demonstrate that the resulting long-lived vibrational states facilitate reaching the strong optomechanical regime at the single photon level. In the second part, I will address light-matter interaction of a quantum emitter. It is a common practice to use cavities or plasmonic nanoantennas to increase light-matter interaction via Purcell effect. I will show that by hybridizing those two systems, the emission rate of an emitter can be enhanced with respect to the individual systems [3]. More importantly, the resulting cavity-induced radiative coupling can dominate the nonradiative channels in the near field of the plasmonic nanoantenna. I will further discuss the promise of reaching single-molecule strong coupling regime by using the proposed hybrid photonic structure. Lastly, I will show how to translate similar ideas to magnetic light-matter interactions by using atomic arrays [4]. Our results pave the way of molecular quantum networks, bright single photon sources, coherent light-matter interactions and quantum optomechanical applications with molecules. 1. C. Toninelli et al., Nat. Mater. 20, 1615–1628 (2021). 2. B. Gurlek et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 123603 (2021). 3. B. Gurlek et al, ACS Photonics 5, 456 (2018). 4. R. Alaee et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 063601 (2020).

Burak Gurlek obtained his B.Sc. degree both in Telecommunication Engineering and Mathematics with summa cum laude from the Istanbul Technical University. He then moved to Polytechnique Montreal to work on non-reciprocal metamaterials for his master thesis. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the group of Prof. Vahid Sandoghdar at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light. He won numerous awards including Ord. Prof. Bedri Karafakioglu award from the Istanbul Technical University. In his Ph.D., Burak worked on hybrid cavity-nanoantenna systems for coherent light-matter interfaces and theory of single molecule spectroscopy. His work also focuses on improving optomechanical qualities of single organic molecules for quantum information. His current research interests lie in molecular quantum optics, engineering molecular interactions, atomic arrays and artificial scientific discovery.