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Nanoscale Quantum Optics |
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Nanoscale Quantum Optics Traditional
quantum optics studies light-matter interaction on length scales of an optical
wavelength scale and larger. Metals and materials with loss are avoided as they
may lead to unwanted decoherence. Recent progress in nanophotonics, plasmonics and metamaterials has shown that light can be strongly confined
to scales much below the diffraction limit. The benefit of intense local fields
may well outweigh the negative effects of dissipation, but one can ask whether
standard quantum optics theory suffices on the subwavelength
scale, and how well light fields can be controlled. This
workshop brought together experts from the different communities and discussed
how quantum optics emerges on the nanoscale. The goal of the workshop was
opened by Bert Hecht who presented an overview of nanophotonic
scanning probe technologies and future plans to demonstrate quantum optics
effects using plasmonics. This immediately led to
active discussion that continued to the second day with a contribution from Almut Beige on quantum optics theory. This made the gap and
difference in thinking between the more traditional quantum optics and the nanophotonics community very prominent. A number of
promising nanophotonic systems were identified for
which a complete quantum theory can be developed. A number of
these systems were addressed in the subsequent talks, from senior as well as
junior scientists, which were all of very high level. Researchers working with
quantum dots were brought up to date about studies of alternative quantum
emitters such as NV centers, cold atoms, and vice versa. Promises and
disadvantages of each of them became clear. As a common theoretical ground for
all photonic media presented was the analysis of emission rates and other emitter
properties in terms of the Green tensor of the media. Some junior PhD students
among the participants were not yet familiar with the Green-function concept
and they learnt quickly. As an experimental common ground, it serves to cite
one participant who said that he had never been in a meeting where so many
participants turned out to have done a Drexhage
experiment (measuring how emission rates of quantum emitters vary as a function
of distance to a mirror). Next to the
stimulating scientific discussions and the very positive response from many
participants, the workshop was definitely successful in presenting the Dutch nanophotonics and quantum optics community and in
particular the FOM program on ‘Nanoscale Quantum Optics’ to the international
community. This workshop could well be the first to establish a contact between
international researchers from different disciplines that share an interest in
quantum optics on the nanoscale. The workshop
benefited greatly from the active participation of the junior researchers. We
believe this process was helped enormously by short, one-minute, presentations
on the first day by each of the workshop participants. Once everyone’s
background, research interests and expectations about the workshop had been
expressed, people knew whom to team up with for scientific discussions from day
one. It also worked quite well that all posters remained around us all week, so
we had a permanent poster presentation that was also used as such. Michiel de Dood (Leiden, The Netherlands) [Back] |
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