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Updated: Aug 30, 2025

Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Unveiling the Enhancement of Spontaneous Emission at Exceptional Points
L Ferrier1, P Bouteyre1, A Pick2
1Université Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, CNRS, INL, UMR5270, 69130 Ecully, France.
Abstract:
Exceptional points (EPs), singularities of non-Hermitian physics where complex spectral resonances degenerate, are one of the most exotic features of nonequilibrium open systems with unique properties. For instance, the emission rate of quantum emitters placed near resonators with EPs is enhanced (compared to the free-space emission rate) by a factor that scales quadratically with the resonance quality factor. Here, we verify the theory of spontaneous emission at EPs by measuring photoluminescence from photonic-crystal slabs that are embedded with a high-quantum-yield active material. While our experimental results verify the theoretically predicted enhancement, they also highlight the practical limitations on the enhancement due to material loss. Our designed structures can be used in applications that require enhanced and controlled emission, such as quantum sensing and imaging.
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