We determine how a system composed of two nonidentical two-level atoms with different resonance frequencies and different damping rates could work as a nanoantenna for controlled mode switching and light routing. We calculate the angular distribution of the emitted field detected in a far-field zone of the system including the direct interatomic interactions and arbitrary linear dimensions of the system. The calculation is carried out in terms of the symmetric and antisymmetric modes of the two-atom system. We find that as long as the atoms are identical, the emission cannot be switched between the symmetric and antisymmetric modes. The switching may occur when the atoms are nonidentical and the emission can then be routed to different modes by changing the relative ratio of the atomic frequencies, or damping rates, or by a proper tuning of the laser frequency to the atomic resonance frequencies. It is shown that in the case of atoms of different resonance frequencies but equal damping rates, the light routing is independent of the frequency of the driving laser field. It depends only on the sign of the detuning between the atomic resonance frequencies. In the case of atoms of different damping rates, the emission can be switched between different modes by changing the laser frequency from the blue to red detuned from the atomic resonance. The effect of the interatomic interactions is also considered, and it is found that in the case of unequal resonance frequencies of the atoms, the interactions slightly modify the visibility of the intensity pattern. The case of unequal damping rates of the atoms is affected rather more drastically, the light routing becoming asymmetric under the dipole-dipole interaction with the enhanced intensities of the modes turned towards the atom of smaller damping rate.
We determine how a system composed of two nonidentical two-level atoms with different resonance frequencies and different damping rates could work as a nanoantenna for controlled mode switching and light routing. We calculate the angular distribution of the emitted field detected in a far-field zone of the system including the direct interatomic interactions and arbitrary linear dimensions of the system. The calculation is carried out in terms of the symmetric and antisymmetric modes of the two-atom system. We find that as long as the atoms are identical, the emission cannot be switched between the symmetric and antisymmetric modes. The switching may occur when the atoms are nonidentical and the emission can then be routed to different modes by changing the relative ratio of the atomic frequencies, or damping rates, or by a proper tuning of the laser frequency to the atomic resonance frequencies. It is shown that in the case of atoms of different resonance frequencies but equal damping rates, the light routing is independent of the frequency of the driving laser field. It depends only on the sign of the detuning between the atomic resonance frequencies. In the case of atoms of different damping rates, the emission can be switched between different modes by changing the laser frequency from the blue to red detuned from the atomic resonance. The effect of the interatomic interactions is also considered, and it is found that in the case of unequal resonance frequencies of the atoms, the interactions slightly modify the visibility of the intensity pattern. The case of unequal damping rates of the atoms is affected rather more drastically, the light routing becoming asymmetric under the dipole-dipole interaction with the enhanced intensities of the modes turned towards the atom of smaller damping rate.
In recent years, the radiative properties of atomic systems have been a hot topic in the research fields of quantum optics and quantum information. With the continuous development of nanophotonics, quantum antennas have become an important model for studying atomic radiation. In order to investigate these phenomena in depth, we investigate a system composed of two two-level atoms, and study the two-photon emission phenomenon of diatomic system under conditions of driving directional tunable laser field, interatomic dipole-dipole interaction, and spontaneous emission coherence. In this study, we diagonalize the atomic Hamiltonian to obtain the eigenvalues and entangled states of the system (symmetric and asymmetric states of two atoms), and use the rotating wave approximation to rotate the system into the laser frame. The evolution of the system is characterized mainly by the evolution of symmetric and asymmetric state, as well as the evolution of coherent terms. In our studies it is found that for identical atoms, certain laser directions and geometric configurations can exclusively drive the superradiant and subradiant states of atoms, which can enhance the first-order interference effect of the atoms and markedly increase the probability of two-photon emission in a specific detection direction. When the superradiant state of the atom is solely driven, there will be no coupling between the superradiant state and subradiant state, resulting in a correlation function angular distribution that is symmetric along the direction perpendicular to atomic axis. Further adjusting the laser direction causes the atomic interference patterns to shift, and the system will exhibit two-photon emission characteristics on one side or both sides. For nonidentical atomic systems, due to detuning between the two atoms, the laser cannot drive the superradiant state or subradiant state individually, and the influence of changing the laser direction on the coupling strength diminishes with the increase of detuning between the atoms. When the laser is in resonance with one of the atoms, due to the atomic interactions, the other atom can achieve the strongest coherent effect without resonating with the laser. This research reveals that atomic detuning is crucial for the correlation values and angular distribution of the correlation function. By adjusting the atomic detuning and laser direction, the system can display highly directed one-sided two-photon emission characteristics. However, different dissipation rates will lead the probability of two-photon emission to decrease. Our studies can achieve highly directional two-photon emission on one side or both sides, which provides a theoretical basis for studying the two-photon emission of nanoantennas.
Resonance fluorescence of two two-level atoms driven by a coherent laser field propagating parallel to the interatomic axis is examined, taking into account the dipole-dipole interaction. We show that the number of peaks in the fluorescence intensity depends on the direction of observation with respect to the interatomic axis and on whether the system is driven by a standing-wave or a running-wave laser field. When the system is driven by the standing-wave field the fluorescence intensity shows two peaks and a dip for an observation direction perpendicular to the interatomic axis and three peaks in the direction parallel to it. When the system is driven by the running-wave field only two peaks are observed for the perpendicular direction. We explain these features in terms of the collective states of the system and show that the directional effect can be attributed to the fact that the antisymmetric state of the system does not radiate in the direction perpendicular to the interatomic axis. Photon statistics also demonstrate the directional effect for the standing-wave field. Frequency regimes are found where sub-Poissonian photon statistics occur. Depending on the direction of the observation, a state close to a Fock state can occur for one or two frequencies of the driving field, corresponding to zero-photon-number fluctuations or maximum sub-Poissonian behavior. The fluorescence spectrum is found to depend on the direction of observation and the interatomic separation. For small interatomic separations and a standing-wave driving field the spectrum exhibits seven lines for the perpendicular direction and 13 lines in the direction parallel to the interatomic axis. For the running-wave field the spectrum shows 13 lines independent of the direction of observation. Moreover, we show that for particular interatomic separations dark regimes appear in the spectrum. We discuss the effect of the dipole-dipole interaction on the dark states and explain the spectral features in terms of the dressed-atom model. We also consider the absorption spectrum of a weak probe beam illuminating the two-atom system. We show that apart from a weak dispersion structure, the spectrum shows large peaks as one of the atoms is moved to successive nodes of the field.
We study the directional properties of a radiation field emitted by a geometrically small system composed of two identical two-level emitters located at short distances and driven by an optical vortex beam, a Laguerre-Gaussian beam which possesses a structured phase and amplitude. We find that the system may operate as a nanoantenna for controlled and tunable directional emission. Polar diagrams of the radiation intensity are presented showing that a constant phase or amplitude difference at the positions of the emitters plays an essential role in the directivity of the emission. We find that the radiation patterns may differ dramatically for different phases and amplitude differences at the positions of the emitters. As a result the system may operate as a two- or one-sided nanoantenna. In particular, a two-sided highly focused directional emission can be achieved when the emitters experience the same amplitude and a constant phase difference of the driving field. We find the general directional property of the emitted field that when the phase differences at the positions of the emitters equal an even multiple of $\ensuremath{\pi}/4$, the system behaves as a two-sided antenna. When the phase difference equals an odd multiple of $\ensuremath{\pi}/4$, the system behaves as a one-sided antenna. The case when the emitters experience the same phase but different amplitudes of the driving field is also considered and it is found that the effect of different amplitudes is to cause the system to behave as a unidirectional antenna radiating along the interatomic axis.
An ensemble of atoms coupled to the radiation field exhibits collective behaviours when the interatomic separation is comparable to the wavelength of photons emitted by the atoms. The collective coupling of the atoms with the electromagnetic field gives rise to coherent exchange interactions between the atoms. In addition, the spontaneous decay of photons from the ensemble becomes a collective process that can happen at a much faster (superradiant) or slower (subradiant) rate than that of a single atom. These processes affect the way that fluorescence light is scattered from the system when it is driven by a laser. However, little is known about the response of a dense atomic gas beyond the linear regime of very weak driving, due to the involved complexity of the problem. The first part of this thesis investigates how the presence of strong laser driving affects properties of the far-field fluorescence light emitted by the ensemble, such as the power spectrum and second order coherence. Depending on the strength of the driving laser and the particular arrangement of the atoms, the laser can modify considerably how the collective behaviours of the atomic ensemble are manifested in the fluorescence. The relative strengths of the coherent interaction and collective decay process are intrinsically linked to the way that the atoms couple to the radiation field; one cannot be changed without modifying the other. Altering the environment by, for example, placing the atoms near a surface or a waveguide, can change this relation significantly from that for atoms in free space. Therefore, modified environments represent a platform for the generation of otherwise inaccessible regimes of collective behaviour, with potential applications in quantum state engineering. The second part of this thesis provides a numerical investigation into how the collective properties of a dense atomic system can be manipulated by placing the atoms close to planar surfaces or an optical nanofiber. These structures modify the light-matter coupling by altering the electric field experienced by the atoms. It is shown that surfaces of metallic and dielectric materials can be used to either enhance or suppress the collective behaviours, depending on the particular system arrangement. In particular, the coupling of atoms with bound surface modes, such as the surface plasmon polaritons that are formed at an air-metal interface, is demonstrated to have a strong effect on the interactions. An optical nanofiber supports a set of fundamental guided modes, that propagate along the fiber. If the atoms are suitably polarised, then they will emit primarily into the guided modes travelling in one direction. By calculating and analysing the collective decay states of a chain of atoms placed near a nanofiber, it is demonstrated that the atom-fiber coupling leads to the formation of a superradiant mode that is preserved at large atomic separations. The presence of chiral emission is shown to introduce phase gradients to the collective modes.
Using the formalism developed earlier, we treat spontaneous emission from a pair of identical two-level atoms A1, A2, whose separation r21 can be comparable to the wavelength $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. We obtain expressions for time-dependent intensities and damping rates with the initial conditions (a) both atoms inverted, (b) prior excitation by a short $\frac{1}{2}\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse, and (c) only A1 inverted. The results in (a) are compared with those obtained for a model consisting of two initially excited harmonic oscillators O1, O2. The atoms exhibit superradiant behavior, whereas O1, O2 tend to trap radiation. In (a), the intensity pattern $\mathcal{R}(\ensuremath{\theta},t)$ develops lobes in different directions at different times, so that the spatial distribution of photons at time $t\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ is the same as in the independent-atom case ${r}_{21}\ensuremath{\gg}\ensuremath{\lambda}$. For the oscillators, the lobes of $\mathcal{R}(\ensuremath{\theta},t)$ do not change direction, but only become more pronounced as time increases. In (b) and (c), the lobes oscillate back and forth at frequency $2{\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{12}$ corresponding to the shifts $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{12}$ of the triplet and singlet states due to the ${A}_{1}\ensuremath{-}{A}_{2}$ interaction. The intensity can therefore have a sinusoidal component. Field correlation functions calculated for (a) and (c) show that A2 and A2 radiate simultaneously around the frequencies $\ensuremath{\epsilon}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}{\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{12}$, where $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ is the single-atom resonant frequency. The spectrum is calculated for case (c), and shows the effects of coherent linewidth enhancement in addition to the frequency shifts.
This paer is concerned with the spontaneous-emision rate of two two-level atoms which have different resonance frequencies and whose spatial separation is much smaller than the corresponding mean resonance wavelength. The total radiation rate of such an atom pair is calculated completely quantum mechanically as a function of time. Explicit results are given for various values of the frequeny difference and the following initial states of the atomic system: (a) both atoms in the excited state, (b) one taom in the excited state the other in the ground state, (c) a symmetric combination of those states, (d) an antisymmetric combination of those states, and product states where each atom is in an equal superposition of its ground and excited states, for which the expectation values of the dipole moments are nonzero and may be considered to be osicillating (e) in phase, (f) in opposite phae, and (g) in random phase. Oscillations are found to appear in the radiation rate in all cases when the frequency difference becomes larger than a certain critical value, viz., the mean half-width of the atomic resonance lines. The oscillations are especially pronounced for the initial atomic states (c), (d), (e), and (f), which exhibit superradiance and radiation trapping. For example, for atoms in the antisymmetric state (d), for which the radiation from two identical atoms is zero (completely self-trapped), a pair of nonidentical atoms begins radiating and even oscillates into the superradiant region at times.