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CRC Press eBooks

Passive resonators

Pasquale Maddaloni, Marco Bellini, Paolo De Natale

Published Apr 24, 2013• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

For many contemporary physics experiments, the use of microwave and optical resonators has become a powerful tool for enhancement in detection sensitivities, nonlinear interactions, and quantum dynamics. Most often, the term cavity is used to describe such electromagnetic resonators. This term has been taken over from microwave technology, where resonators really look like closed cavities, whereas optical resonators traditionally have an open kind of setup. That difference in geometry is related to the fact that optical resonators are usually very large compared with the optical wavelength, whereas microwave cavities are often not much longer than a wavelength. As discussed in the course of this book, microwave and optical cavities allow one to extend the interaction length between matter and field, to build up the optical power, to impose a well-defined mode structure on the electromagnetic field, to implement extreme nonlinear optics, and to study manifestly quantum mechanical behavior associated with the modified vacuum structure and/or the large field associated with a single photon confined to a small volume [100].

DOI
10.1201/b14783-8

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For many contemporary physics experiments, the use of microwave and optical resonators has become a powerful tool for enhancement in detection sensitivities, nonlinear interactions, and quantum dynamics. Most often, the term cavity is used to describe such electromagnetic resonators. This term has been taken over from microwave technology, where resonators really look like closed cavities, whereas optical resonators traditionally have an open kind of setup. That difference in geometry is related to the fact that optical resonators are usually very large compared with the optical wavelength, whereas microwave cavities are often not much longer than a wavelength. As discussed in the course of this book, microwave and optical cavities allow one to extend the interaction length between matter and field, to build up the optical power, to impose a well-defined mode structure on the electromagnetic field, to implement extreme nonlinear optics, and to study manifestly quantum mechanical behavior associated with the modified vacuum structure and/or the large field associated with a single photon confined to a small volume [100].
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A single two-level emitter coupled to a single mode of an electromagnetic resonator constitutes the most fundamental instance of light--matter interaction. Realizations of this type of system are investigated in the field of cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED). Particularly important are schemes in which the coupling is strong enough to exceed the spontaneous emission rate as well as cavity damping. In this case, the coherent exchange of excitation between source and photon is the dominating process, providing the unique possibility to deterministically control the quantum evolution of the system. Great progress has recently been accomplished, technologically as well as conceptually, and the focus section in this issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics features five articles highlighting important recent developments in the field. 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In order to minimize damping, high-quality cavities must be employed. In most optical experiments these are Fabry--Perot resonators with ultra-high reflectivity mirrors, with losses as low as a few parts per million being state of the art. At the same time, the coupling of atoms and photons is enhanced by reducing the length of the cavity, so that strong coupling conditions are reached. A very attractive application of this type of cavity QED setup is the possibility of exerting control over the quantum dynamics of the system. An impressive example is the implementation of quantum feedback, reported in the paper by W P Smith and L A Orozco (pages 127--134). Using information gained from detecting a single photon escaping from the cavity, active feedback is applied to halt the dynamical evolution of the system. This is the first time active feedback has been used to modify the quantum evolution of a system at the single-photon level. The authors discuss how detunings between the subsystems affect the quantum feedback, an issue particularly relevant for ensembles of atoms with a spread in detuning. Perfect quantum feedback in this case requires the use of additional parameters to control the system. The majority of optical cavity QED experiments performed so far have used as a medium atoms traversing the cavity on random trajectories, such as, for example, thermal atomic beams. In this case, the observation of quantum effects is degraded in two ways. The Doppler effect and the finite transit time lead to line broadening, while the spatial structure of the cavity mode results in atoms in different locations experiencing different coupling with the photonic field. J E Reiner et al (pages 135--142) investigate the impact of these effects on quantum fluctuations in their cavity QED system. In order to overcome line broadening, they have developed a continuous cold atomic beam, extracted from a magneto-optical trap. An even better control of broadening effects and fluctuating coupling strength is provided by trapping the atoms inside the cavity and cooling them to temperatures at which their position spread is smaller than the optical wavelength. Much recent activity has been devoted to developing such an ultimate cavity QED system. A Vukics et al (pages 143--153) present a theoretical proposal for dynamically trapping and cooling atoms inside a cavity. By driving the atoms with a standing wave injected from the side of the cavity and by weakly exciting the cavity field itself, they predict three-dimensional trapping of the atom for periods around 1 second, an extremely long time on the typical scale of cavity QED dynamics. The essential component of their scheme is the interference between the two driving fields, determining the temperature of the particle and the stable trapping positions. In the quest for better confinement of radiation, lately, an appealing alternative to the Fabry--Perot cavity has been investigated -- the optical microsphere resonator. A sphere with a diameter of a few tens of microns, it supports so-called whispering gallery modes near its circumference, for which quality factors up to 10 10 have been measured. In order to exploit the correspondingly low field damping rates for cavity QED, a method must be found to couple atomic or solid state emitters to these modes. S Göotzinger et al (pages 154--158) report the coupling of single nanocrystals on the surface of a microsphere through the evanescent field of the mode. Selective excitation of a single nano-emitter was accomplished with a scanning confocal microscope. The system is a promising candidate for cavity QED with single-quantum emitters. The ability to fully control the quantum dynamics of atoms and light is beginning to spawn early applications. The most notable example is quantum information processing. This requires the coherent manipulation of single-quantum systems, which is ideally provided by cavity QED interaction in the strong-coupling limit. The development of practical devices will be among the principal future tasks for research in the field. This will include physical systems, which have not been covered in this issue, such as semiconductors, quantum dots as emitters, or photonic crystals as resonator structures. Cavity QED is therefore guaranteed to remain a vigorous field in the years to come.
Small optical microresonators are structures which confine light to volumes with dimensions on the order of one wavelength and provide an important means for controlling light-matter interaction in integrated optics. In this Paper, we would like to present our work on the study of the interaction of single quantum emitters or nanoparticles located in the confined optical field of a single-mode microresonator. The interaction possibilities between a general photonic system and a quantum system are discussed, with special focus on the effect of resonant microcavities. For the case of the optical microresonator used in our experiments, we present a model based on the transfer matrix method which can analytically describe the radiative enhancement of even complex resonator geometries. This allows not only the optimization of resonator geometries, but gives accurate information on the radiative processes occurring in the cavity, allowing the extraction of information normally inaccessible in optical measurements.
After laying the foundation by explaining the fundamental principles of light propagation and optical resonators, this book delves into the realm of implementing resonators through a fiber-based approach. It extensively explores fiber-based resonators, encompassing a comprehensive discussion spanning from their intricacies of design to their pivotal roles in advancing quantum optics experiments. Furthermore, it details the design techniques, meticulously explaining the latest developments within this dynamic field. There are vivid illustrations highlighting the various applications of resonators in experimental optics and cavity quantum electrodynamics. Also, a discourse is presented regarding the future potential of fiber-based resonators in quantum technology. The book serves as a valuable resource for individuals with an interest in optical resonators and their boundless possibilities.
Optical resonators are optical components with numerous applications in modern physics and technology [1]. Indeed, they can provide spectral selectivity of optical signals and increase the intensity of light in a small volume of space. For these reasons, among others, they are important components in devices such as lasers. Resonators can also be used for frequency doubling, sum and difference frequency generation, optical parametric amplification and optical isolation. They have a wide range of applications, including chemical, biological and thermal spectroscopy and optical communication networks. In addition, resonators provide an ideal platform for studying and controlling quantum mechanical interactions.