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Spontaneous emission suppression via quantum path interference in coupled microcavities
M M Dignam1, D P Fussell, M J Steel
1Centre for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems, CUDOS, School of Physics, University of Sydney 2006, Australia.
Physical Review Letters
|April 12, 2006
Summary
We theoretically analyze spontaneous emission rates in optical microstructures. Our findings show emission can be modeled by discrete resonant modes and quantum interference, enabling efficient numerical methods.
Area of Science:
- Quantum Optics
- Nanophotonics
- Theoretical Physics
Background:
- Spontaneous emission is fundamental to light-matter interactions in optical microstructures.
- Overlapping cavity resonances in position and frequency complicate theoretical descriptions.
- Accurate modeling is crucial for designing advanced photonic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate spontaneous emission rates in microstructures with overlapping resonances.
- To develop an efficient numerical method for calculating these rates.
- To understand the role of quantum path interference in emission processes.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical examination using projection techniques.
- Modeling spontaneous emission via discrete resonant modes and quantum path interference.
- Development of an efficient numerical time-domain method.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous emission in overlapping resonance structures is accurately described by discrete modes.
- Quantum path interference significantly influences emission characteristics.
- The developed numerical method efficiently incorporates these effects, including emission suppression.
Conclusions:
- Theoretical framework simplifies complex spontaneous emission phenomena in optical microstructures.
- Numerical method provides an efficient tool for predicting emission rates and designing photonic devices.
- Understanding quantum interference is key to controlling spontaneous emission.
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