Investigation of dye molecules in a microcavity : towards single-photon generation

F. De Martini, Giovanni Di Giuseppe, Michele Marrocco

John Rarity, P. Jonsson

Claudio Polisseni, Kiang Wei Kho, Kyle D. Major +5 more

Zhen Wang, HERSCHEL A. RABITZ, Marlan O. Scully

This work explores the feasibility of inducing lasing action in a single dye molecule using an optical microcavity. A single-molecule light source is proposed, in which a microcavity-coupled dye molecule is pumped by multiple energy donors via an intermolecular resonance energy transfer mechanism. A quantitative model based on realistic parameters for microcavities and for organic dyes shows that stimulated emission may become dominant over spontaneous fluorescence under optimal yet technically reachable conditions, suggesting the likelihood of achieving a single-molecule lasing photon source with the proposed device. Lasing of a single dye molecule generates signals much brighter than spontaneous fluorescence, and may find applications in a wide range of fields from physics and chemistry to biology.

P. Jonsson, John Rarity, Stephen C. Kitson +1 more

Summary form only given. Summary from only given. We are trying to develop high efficiency sources of single photons for quantum optics applications. We aim to do this by isolating single dye molecules thus limiting our maximum emission per pump pulse to a single photon. We show that a single dye molecule can be used for single-photon generation. However, dye molecules have problems with photostability. The molecules undergo irreversible bleaching after approximately 10/sup 5/ to 10/sup 6/ photon emissions.

Stephen C. Kitson, P. Jonsson, John Rarity +1 more

The spontaneous emission from a thin layer of a dilute solution of fluorescent dye molecules within an optical microcavity has been studied. Strong fluctuations in fluorescence intensity are observed when the average number of molecules in the measurement volume is small. We have performed experiments that simultaneously characterize these fluctuations over nine orders of magnitude of time, from ns to s. These measurements have identified photon antibunching characteristic of single-molecule emission, along with triplet-state shelving and diffusion driven number fluctuations. The results give fundamental information on the kinetics of dye molecules and allow one to speculate about the prospect of using single molecules as sources of single photons for quantum optics.