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Laser Physics

Quantum counter-propagation in open optical cavities via the quasi-normal-mode approach

S. Severini, Alessandro Settimi, Concita Sibilia, M. Bertolotti, Anna Napoli, ANTONINO MESSINA

Published Jun 1, 2006• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

By using the quasi-normal-mode (QNM) formalism in a second quantization scheme, the problem of the counter-propagation of electromagnetic fields inside optical cavities is studied. The links between QNM operators and canonical destruction and creation operators describing the external free field, as well as the field correlation functions, are found and discussed. An application of the theory is performed for open cavities whose refractive index satisfies symmetric properties.

DOI
10.1134/s1054660x0606003x

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By using the quasi-normal-mode (QNM) formalism in a second quantization scheme, the problem of the counter-propagation of electromagnetic fields inside optical cavities is studied. The links between QNM operators and canonical destruction and creation operators describing the external free field, as well as the field correlation functions, are found and discussed. An application of the theory is performed for open cavities whose refractive index satisfies symmetric properties.
The one-dimensional open cavity is a system for which the canonical quantization of electromagnetic fields can be performed explicitly. The normal modes for the complete system—the cavity and outside world—are a continuum, and their wave functions are characterized by a succession of resonances in the relative amplitude of the wave functions inside and outside of the cavity. The resonances in the amplitude of the fields inside the cavity can be identified with the open-cavity modes. With the introduction of complex propagation vectors for the modes, we can effectively quantize these modes and use them to describe the field inside the cavity.
A macroscopic, canonical quantization of the EM field and radiating atom system in quantum optics and cavity QED involving classical, linear optical devices, based on expanding the vector potential in terms of quasi mode functions is presented. The quasi mode functions approximate the true mode functions for the device, and are obtained by solving the Helmholtz equation for an idealized spatially dependent electric permittivity function describing the device. The Hamiltonian for the EM field and radiating atom system is obtained in multipolar form and the quantum EM field is found to be equivalent to a set of quantum harmonic oscillators, one oscillator per quasi mode. However, unlike true mode theory where the quantum harmonic oscillators are uncoupled, in the quasi mode theory they are coupled and photon exchange processes can occur. Explicit expressions for the coupling constants are obtained. The interaction energy between the radiative atoms and the quantum EM field depends on the amplitudes of the quasi mode functions at the positions of the radiating atoms, similar to that for the true mode approach. The simpler forms for the quasi mode functions enable the atom-field interaction energy to be written in a form in which the atoms are only coupled to certain types of modes—for example cavity quasi modes, which are large inside the optical cavity. In such cases the escape of energy from excited atoms in the cavity can be pictured in quasi mode theory as a two step process—the atom de-excites and creates a photon in a cavity quasi mode, the photon in the cavity quasi mode is then lost and appears as a photon in an external quasi mode. In this process the first step occurs via the atom-cavity quasi mode interaction, the second through coupling between cavity and external quasi modes. This may be contrasted with the true mode approach, where the excited atom loses its energy and the photon is created in one of the true modes. As all true modes have non-zero amplitudes outside as well as inside the cavity, the escape of energy from excited atoms in the cavity is seen as a one step process. An application of the quasi mode theory to the quantum theory of the beam splitter is outlined. The unitary operator used to describe this device is a scattering operator, relating initial and long time values of annihilation, creation operators for pairs of incident and reflected modes, interpreted here as quasi modes.
The quasi mode theory of macroscopic quantization in quantum optics and cavity QED developed by Dalton, Barnett and Knight is generalized. This generalization allows for cases in which two or more quasi permittivities, along with their associated mode functions, are needed to describe the classical optics device. It brings problems such as reflection and refraction at a dielectric boundary, the linear coupler, and the coupling of two optical cavities within the scope of the theory. For the most part, the results that are obtained here are simple generalizations of those obtained in previous work. However the coupling constants, which are of great importance in applications of the theory, are shown to contain significant additional terms which cannot be ‘guessed’ from the simpler forms. The expressions for the coupling constants suggest that the critical factor in determining the strength of coupling between a pair of quasi modes is their degree of spatial overlap. In an accompanying paper a fully quantum theoretic derivation of the laws of reflection and refraction at a boundary is given as an illustration of the generalized theory. The quasi mode picture of this process involves the annihilation of a photon travelling in the incident region quasi mode, and the subsequent creation of a photon in either the incident region or transmitted region quasi modes.
The generalization of the quasi mode theory of macroscopic quantization in quantum optics and cavity QED presented in the previous paper, is applied to provide a fully quantum theoretic derivation of the laws of reflection and refraction at a boundary. The quasi mode picture of this process involves the annihilation of a photon travelling in the incident region quasi mode, and the subsequent creation of a photon in either the incident region or transmitted region quasi modes. The derivation of the laws of reflection and refraction is achieved through the dual application of the quasi mode theory and a quantum scattering theory based on the Heisenberg picture. Formal expressions from scattering theory are given for the reflection and transmission coefficients. The behaviour of the intensity for a localized one photon wave packet coming in at time minus infinity from the incident direction is examined and it is shown that at time plus infinity, the light intensity is only significant where the classical laws of reflection and refraction predict. The occurrence of both refraction and reflection is dependent upon the quasi mode theory coupling constants between incident and transmitted region quasi modes being non-zero, and it is seen that the contributions to such coupling constants come from the overlap of the mode functions in the boundary layer region, as might be expected from a microscopic theory.
An extension of the second quantization scheme based on the quasinormal-modes theory to one-dimensional photonic band gap (PBG) structures is discussed. Such structures, treated as double open optical cavities, are studied as part of a compound closed system including the electromagnetic radiative external bath. The electromagnetic field inside the photonic crystal is successfully represented by a new class of modes called quasinormal modes. Starting from this representation we introduce the Feynman's propagator to calculate the decay rate of a dipole inside a PBG structure, related to the density of modes, in the presence of the vacuum fluctuations outside the one-dimensional cavity.
The generalization of the quasi mode theory of macroscopic quantization in quantum optics and cavity QED presented in the previous paper, is applied to provide a fully quantum theoretic derivation of the laws of reflection and refraction at a boundary. The quasi mode picture of this process involves the annihilation of a photon travelling in the incident region quasi mode, and the subsequent creation of a photon in either the incident region or transmitted region quasi modes. The derivation of the laws of reflection and refraction is achieved through the dual application of the quasi mode theory and a quantum scattering theory based on the Heisenberg picture. Formal expressions from scattering theory are given for the reflection and transmission coefficients. The behaviour of the intensity for a localized one photon wave packet coming in at time minus infinity from the incident direction is examined and it is shown that at time plus infinity, the light intensity is only significant where the classical laws of reflection and refraction predict. The occurrence of both refraction and reflection is dependent upon the quasi mode theory coupling constants between incident and transmitted region quasi modes being nonzero, and it is seen that the contributions to such coupling constants come from the overlap of the mode functions in the boundary layer region, as might be expected from a microscopic theory.