Efficient two-photon excitation by photonic dimers

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Nonlinear optics
• Photonics

Background:

• Nonlinear two-photon excitation is crucial for various applications.
• Achieving high excitation efficiency with conventional methods like ultrashort laser pulses remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate that photonic dimers can enable highly efficient nonlinear two-photon excitation.
• To investigate the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for this enhanced efficiency.
• To explore the potential for generating photonic dimers in semiconductor platforms.

Main Methods:

• Analytical and numerical modeling of photonic dimer interactions.
• Theoretical analysis of energy anti-correlation and temporal proximity effects.
• Investigation of semiconductor-based generation schemes.

Main Results:

• Photonic dimers provide an order-of-magnitude improvement in excitation efficiency per photon compared to ultrashort laser pulses.
• The high efficiency leads to a deviation from the typical linear intensity dependence of the two-photon transition rate at low intensities.
• Lorentzian energy anti-correlation and temporal photon proximity are identified as key factors for efficient excitation.

Conclusions:

• Photonic dimers represent a promising approach for significantly enhancing nonlinear two-photon excitation.
• The unique properties of photonic dimers open new possibilities for applications requiring efficient two-photon processes.
• Further research into semiconductor platforms could facilitate the practical generation and utilization of photonic dimers.