Advanced mirror shapes for mode enhancement in plano-concave cavities.

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Cavity quantum electrodynamics
• Nanophotonics

Background:

• Optical cavities are crucial for quantum technologies, enhancing light-matter interactions for applications like single photon generation and entanglement.
• Fabry-Pérot resonators offer high optical access but demand precise mirror alignment, especially for emitters like trapped ions and Rydberg atoms.
• Plano-concave cavities are tolerant to misalignment and simpler to fabricate but offer limited light focusing in the cavity center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mirror shaping as a method to enhance the performance of plano-concave optical cavities.
• To overcome the limited light-focusing issue in plano-concave cavities while retaining their advantages.
• To establish conditions for improving emitter-cavity systems using shaped plano-concave mirrors.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were employed to model light-matter interactions within optical cavities.
• The study focused on analyzing the effect of mirror shaping on plano-concave cavity performance.
• Simulations compared the coupling efficiency of shaped plano-concave cavities with traditional concave-concave designs.

Main Results:

• Simple mirror shaping significantly increased coupling between plano-concave cavities and central emitters by an order of magnitude.
• The enhanced coupling achieved with shaped mirrors rivaled that of misalignment-sensitive concave-concave cavities.
• Mirror shaping effectively addressed the central focusing limitation of plano-concave cavities.

Conclusions:

• Shaped plano-concave cavities offer a practical and high-performance alternative to traditional optical cavity designs for quantum applications.
• This approach enhances emitter-cavity coupling, potentially improving the practicality and performance of quantum technologies.
• The findings provide guidelines for utilizing shaped plano-concave cavities in future quantum systems.