Interaction of atomic systems with quantum vacuum beyond electric dipole approximation

Area of Science:

• Quantum Optics
• Nanophotonics
• Atomic Physics

Background:

• The electric dipole approximation is standard for light-matter interactions but fails for nanophotonic structures.
• Contemporary nanophotonics requires going beyond this approximation to accurately model atomic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an analytical framework for light-matter interactions beyond the electric dipole approximation.
• To investigate the influence of the photonic environment on atomic emission and interaction properties.

Main Methods:

• Explicitly including magnetic dipolar and electric quadrupolar contributions.
• Utilizing a field quantization scheme based on electromagnetic Green's tensors for dispersive materials.

Main Results:

• Derived expressions for spontaneous emission rate, Lamb shift, multipole-multipole shift, and superradiance rate.
• Demonstrated that these properties are modified by the dispersive photonic environment.
• Showcased substantial influence in tailored nanostructured photonic environments.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework accurately describes light-matter interactions beyond the electric dipole approximation in nanophotonic systems.
• Dispersive photonic environments significantly impact atomic emission and interaction properties.
• This work is crucial for understanding and designing advanced nanophotonic devices.