Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference

Strong coupling in an organic metal-clad microcavity

Peter A. Hobson, Martin Guy Salt, William L. Barnes, David George Lidzey, Donal D. C. Bradley, Maurice S. Skolnick

Published May 12, 2000• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Summary form only given. The interaction between light and matter can be significantly altered by placing the material in an optical microcavity. Under appropriate conditions strong coupling may occur, a process in which the confined electromagnetic field of the microcavity dramatically modifies the optical transitions of the material, resulting in an anti-crossing (Rabi splitting) of the coupled modes of the microcavity. Recently strong coupling has been observed in organic materials including J-aggregates of cyanine dyes. They have the desired properties of large oscillator strength and narrow linewidth, and have shown large Rabi splitting at room temperature. We report here significant strong coupling in a new structure, a metal clad organic microcavity.

Related papers

Multiple interacting photonic modes in strongly coupled organic microcavities (article)

F Herrera (7756283), WL Barnes (21859049)

Room temperature cavity quantum electrodynamics with molecular materials in optical cavities offers exciting prospects for controlling electronic, nuclear and photonic degrees of freedom for applications in physics, chemistry and materials science. However, achieving strong coupling with molecular ensembles typically requires high molecular densities and substantial electromagnetic field confinement. These conditions usually involve a significant degree of molecular disorder and a highly structured photonic density of states. It remains unclear to what extent these additional complexities modify the usual physical picture of strong coupling developed for atoms and inorganic semiconductors. Using a microscopic quantum description of molecular ensembles in realistic multimode optical resonators, we show the that the emergence of a vacuum Rabi splitting in linear spectroscopy is a necessary but not sufficient metric of coherent admixing between light and matter. In low finesse multi-mode situations we find that molecular dipoles can be partially hybridised with photonic dissipation channels associated with off-resonant cavity modes. These vacuum-induced dissipative processes ultimately limit the extent of light-matter coherence that the system can sustain.

•Aug 2, 2025•0 citations

Multiple interacting photonic modes in strongly coupled organic microcavities

Felipe Herrera, William L. Barnes

Room-temperature cavity quantum electrodynamics with molecular materials in optical cavities offers exciting prospects for controlling electronic, nuclear and photonic degrees of freedom for applications in physics, chemistry and materials science. However, achieving strong coupling with molecular ensembles typically requires high molecular densities and substantial electromagnetic-field confinement. These conditions usually involve a significant degree of molecular disorder and a highly structured photonic density of states. It remains unclear to what extent these additional complexities modify the usual physical picture of strong coupling developed for atoms and inorganic semiconductors. Using a microscopic quantum description of molecular ensembles in realistic multimode optical resonators, we show that the emergence of vacuum Rabi splitting in linear spectroscopy is a necessary but not sufficient metric of coherent admixing between light and matter. In low-finesse multi-mode situations, we find that molecular dipoles can be partially hybridized with photonic dissipation channels associated with off-resonant cavity modes. These vacuum-induced dissipative processes ultimately limit the extent of light-matter coherence that the system can sustain.This article is part of the theme issue 'The quantum theory of light'.

arXiv:2407.04904•Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences•Dec 24, 2024•8 citations

Strong coupling in a microcavity containing β-carotene

Richard T. Grant, Rahul Jayaprakash, David M. Coles +6 more

We have fabricated an open-cavity microcavity structure containing a thin film of the biologically-derived molecule β-carotene. We show that the β-carotene absorption can be described in terms of a series of Lorentzian functions that approximate the 0-0, 0-1, 0-2, 0-3 and 0-4 electronic and vibronic transitions. On placing this molecular material into a microcavity, we obtain anti-crossing between the cavity mode and the 0-1 vibronic transition, however other electronic and vibronic transitions remain in the intermediate or weak-coupling regime due to their lower oscillator strength and broader linewidth. We discuss the consequences of strong-coupling for the possible modification of photosynthetic processes, or a re-ordering of allowed and optically-forbidden states.

Optics Express•Jan 31, 2018•13 citations

Tunable Fabry–Perot Microcavity Based on Boron Nitride and Rhodamine 6G

Evelyn Granizo, Pavel S. Samokhvalov, Igor R. Nabiev

Abstract Light–matter interaction leads to excitation of molecules, which, in turn, can exchange energy with a localized electromagnetic field. This can be used for engineering of the electronic and vibrational energy levels of the molecules. This study considers the conditions for the emergence of the strong light–matter coupling regime for organic dye molecules in a tunable Fabry–Perot microcavity formed by a convex mirror and a flat reflecting surface. The sample studied was made of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer (PVP, 55 kDa), and rhodamine 6G fluorophore (R6G). Strong light–matter coupling was obtained in a sample with a low concentration of PVP. Adjustment of the optical path length in the microcavity by varying the thickness of the hBN–R6G–PVP film made it possible to obtain a high density of modes in the cavity (several tens of (λ/n)3) and, hence, to study the weak and strong light–matter coupling regimes. The results offer the possibility of studying the basic mechanisms of resonant light–matter interaction at room temperature, as well as developing new practical applications of the strong coupling effect.

Physics of Atomic Nuclei•Dec 1, 2023•0 citations

Quantum Nonlinear Optics with Polar J-Aggregates in Microcavities

Felipe Herrera, Borja Peropadre, Leonardo A. Pachón +2 more

We predict that an ensemble of organic dye molecules with permanent electric dipole moments embedded in a microcavity can lead to strong optical nonlinearities at the single-photon level. The strong long-range electrostatic interaction between chromophores due to their permanent dipoles introduces the desired nonlinearity of the light-matter coupling in the microcavity. We develop a semiclassical model to obtain the absorption spectra of a weak probe field under the influence of strong exciton-photon coupling with the cavity field. Using realistic parameters, we demonstrate that a cavity field with an average photon number near unity can significantly modify the absorptive and dispersive response of the medium to a weak probe field at a different frequency. Finally, we show that the system is in the regime of cavity-induced transparency with a broad transparency window for dye dimers. We illustrate our findings using pseudoisocyanine chloride (PIC) J-aggregates in currently available optical microcavities.

arXiv:1409.1930•The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters•Oct 7, 2014•44 citations

Light–matter interaction in the strong coupling regime: configurations, conditions, and applications

Dmitriy S. Dovzhenko, Sergey Ryabchuk, Yu. P. Rakovich +1 more

Resonance interaction between a molecular transition and a confined electromagnetic field can reach the coupling regime where coherent exchange of energy between light and matter becomes reversible. In this case, two new hybrid states separated in energy are formed instead of independent eigenstates, which is known as Rabi splitting. This modification of the energy spectra of the system offers new possibilities for controlled impact on various fundamental properties of coupled matter (such as the rate of chemical reactions and the conductivity of organic semiconductors). To date, the strong coupling regime has been demonstrated in many configurations under different ambient conditions. However, there is still no comprehensive approach to determining parameters for achieving the strong coupling regime for a wide range of practical applications. In this review, a detailed analysis of various systems and corresponding conditions for reaching strong coupling is carried out and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the prospects for application, are considered. The review also summarizes recent experiments in which the strong coupling regime has led to new interesting results, such as the possibility of collective strong coupling between X-rays and matter excitation in a periodic array of Fe isotopes, which extends the applications of quantum optics; a strong amplification of the Raman scattering signal from a coupled system, which can be used in surface-enhanced and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; and more efficient second-harmonic generation from the low polaritonic state, which is promising for nonlinear optics. The results reviewed demonstrate great potential for further practical applications of strong coupling in the fields of photonics (low-threshold lasers), quantum communications (switches), and biophysics (molecular fingerprinting).

Nanoscale•Jan 1, 2018•316 citations
Summary form only given. The interaction between light and matter can be significantly altered by placing the material in an optical microcavity. Under appropriate conditions strong coupling may occur, a process in which the confined electromagnetic field of the microcavity dramatically modifies the optical transitions of the material, resulting in an anti-crossing (Rabi splitting) of the coupled modes of the microcavity. Recently strong coupling has been observed in organic materials including J-aggregates of cyanine dyes. They have the desired properties of large oscillator strength and narrow linewidth, and have shown large Rabi splitting at room temperature. We report here significant strong coupling in a new structure, a metal clad organic microcavity.
Room temperature cavity quantum electrodynamics with molecular materials in optical cavities offers exciting prospects for controlling electronic, nuclear and photonic degrees of freedom for applications in physics, chemistry and materials science. However, achieving strong coupling with molecular ensembles typically requires high molecular densities and substantial electromagnetic field confinement. These conditions usually involve a significant degree of molecular disorder and a highly structured photonic density of states. It remains unclear to what extent these additional complexities modify the usual physical picture of strong coupling developed for atoms and inorganic semiconductors. Using a microscopic quantum description of molecular ensembles in realistic multimode optical resonators, we show the that the emergence of a vacuum Rabi splitting in linear spectroscopy is a necessary but not sufficient metric of coherent admixing between light and matter. In low finesse multi-mode situations we find that molecular dipoles can be partially hybridised with photonic dissipation channels associated with off-resonant cavity modes. These vacuum-induced dissipative processes ultimately limit the extent of light-matter coherence that the system can sustain.
Room-temperature cavity quantum electrodynamics with molecular materials in optical cavities offers exciting prospects for controlling electronic, nuclear and photonic degrees of freedom for applications in physics, chemistry and materials science. However, achieving strong coupling with molecular ensembles typically requires high molecular densities and substantial electromagnetic-field confinement. These conditions usually involve a significant degree of molecular disorder and a highly structured photonic density of states. It remains unclear to what extent these additional complexities modify the usual physical picture of strong coupling developed for atoms and inorganic semiconductors. Using a microscopic quantum description of molecular ensembles in realistic multimode optical resonators, we show that the emergence of vacuum Rabi splitting in linear spectroscopy is a necessary but not sufficient metric of coherent admixing between light and matter. In low-finesse multi-mode situations, we find that molecular dipoles can be partially hybridized with photonic dissipation channels associated with off-resonant cavity modes. These vacuum-induced dissipative processes ultimately limit the extent of light-matter coherence that the system can sustain.This article is part of the theme issue 'The quantum theory of light'.
We have fabricated an open-cavity microcavity structure containing a thin film of the biologically-derived molecule β-carotene. We show that the β-carotene absorption can be described in terms of a series of Lorentzian functions that approximate the 0-0, 0-1, 0-2, 0-3 and 0-4 electronic and vibronic transitions. On placing this molecular material into a microcavity, we obtain anti-crossing between the cavity mode and the 0-1 vibronic transition, however other electronic and vibronic transitions remain in the intermediate or weak-coupling regime due to their lower oscillator strength and broader linewidth. We discuss the consequences of strong-coupling for the possible modification of photosynthetic processes, or a re-ordering of allowed and optically-forbidden states.
Abstract Light–matter interaction leads to excitation of molecules, which, in turn, can exchange energy with a localized electromagnetic field. This can be used for engineering of the electronic and vibrational energy levels of the molecules. This study considers the conditions for the emergence of the strong light–matter coupling regime for organic dye molecules in a tunable Fabry–Perot microcavity formed by a convex mirror and a flat reflecting surface. The sample studied was made of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer (PVP, 55 kDa), and rhodamine 6G fluorophore (R6G). Strong light–matter coupling was obtained in a sample with a low concentration of PVP. Adjustment of the optical path length in the microcavity by varying the thickness of the hBN–R6G–PVP film made it possible to obtain a high density of modes in the cavity (several tens of (λ/n)3) and, hence, to study the weak and strong light–matter coupling regimes. The results offer the possibility of studying the basic mechanisms of resonant light–matter interaction at room temperature, as well as developing new practical applications of the strong coupling effect.
We predict that an ensemble of organic dye molecules with permanent electric dipole moments embedded in a microcavity can lead to strong optical nonlinearities at the single-photon level. The strong long-range electrostatic interaction between chromophores due to their permanent dipoles introduces the desired nonlinearity of the light-matter coupling in the microcavity. We develop a semiclassical model to obtain the absorption spectra of a weak probe field under the influence of strong exciton-photon coupling with the cavity field. Using realistic parameters, we demonstrate that a cavity field with an average photon number near unity can significantly modify the absorptive and dispersive response of the medium to a weak probe field at a different frequency. Finally, we show that the system is in the regime of cavity-induced transparency with a broad transparency window for dye dimers. We illustrate our findings using pseudoisocyanine chloride (PIC) J-aggregates in currently available optical microcavities.
Resonance interaction between a molecular transition and a confined electromagnetic field can reach the coupling regime where coherent exchange of energy between light and matter becomes reversible. In this case, two new hybrid states separated in energy are formed instead of independent eigenstates, which is known as Rabi splitting. This modification of the energy spectra of the system offers new possibilities for controlled impact on various fundamental properties of coupled matter (such as the rate of chemical reactions and the conductivity of organic semiconductors). To date, the strong coupling regime has been demonstrated in many configurations under different ambient conditions. However, there is still no comprehensive approach to determining parameters for achieving the strong coupling regime for a wide range of practical applications. In this review, a detailed analysis of various systems and corresponding conditions for reaching strong coupling is carried out and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the prospects for application, are considered. The review also summarizes recent experiments in which the strong coupling regime has led to new interesting results, such as the possibility of collective strong coupling between X-rays and matter excitation in a periodic array of Fe isotopes, which extends the applications of quantum optics; a strong amplification of the Raman scattering signal from a coupled system, which can be used in surface-enhanced and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy; and more efficient second-harmonic generation from the low polaritonic state, which is promising for nonlinear optics. The results reviewed demonstrate great potential for further practical applications of strong coupling in the fields of photonics (low-threshold lasers), quantum communications (switches), and biophysics (molecular fingerprinting).