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Fabrication And Characterization Of Photonic Crystal Slow Light Waveguides And Cavities
Published on: November 30, 2012
Spontaneous emission in one-dimensional photonic crystals
1Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Optica y Electrónica, Apdo. Postal 51, Puebla, Puebla 72000, México.
Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|December 31, 2005
Summary
We investigated spontaneous emission from atoms in photonic crystals. Emission rates depend on atom position and crystal properties, showing significant enhancement in specific configurations.
Area of Science:
- * Atomic physics
- * Quantum optics
- * Condensed matter physics
Background:
- * Spontaneous emission is a fundamental quantum optical process.
- * Photonic crystals offer control over light-matter interactions.
- * Understanding emission in structured materials is key for quantum technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To theoretically model spontaneous emission rates of an atom in a 1D photonic crystal.
- * To analyze the influence of superlattice parameters and dipole orientation on emission.
- * To explore the role of radiative and evanescent modes in emission modification.
Main Methods:
- * Classical electrodynamic theory of radiation.
- * Analysis of emission spectra and decay rates.
- * Investigation of photonic band structure effects.
Main Results:
- * Emission rate is tunable by photonic crystal geometry, material properties, and dipole position/orientation.
- * Oscillatory emission spectra correlate with the photonic band structure.
- * Significant emission rate enhancements (up to 76x free space) observed for specific configurations (e.g., perpendicular dipoles in low-index layers).
- * Evanescent modes significantly contribute to emission in near-field regions.
Conclusions:
- * Photonic crystals can dramatically alter spontaneous emission rates.
- * Tailoring superlattice parameters enables precise control over light-atom interactions.
- * Findings are relevant for designing advanced optical devices and quantum information systems.
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