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arXiv:quant-ph/0511146 · Physical Review A

Spatial decoherence near metallic surfaces

R. Fermani, Stefan Scheel, P. L. Knight

Published Mar 8, 2006• 24 citations
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Abstract

We present a first-principles derivation of spatial atomic-sublevel decoherence near dielectric and metallic surfaces. The theory is based on the electromagnetic-field quantization in absorbing dielectric media. We derive an expression for the time variation of the off-diagonal matrix element of the atomic density matrix for arbitrarily shaped substrates. For planar multilayered substrates we find that for small lateral separations of the atom's possible positions the spatial coherence decreases quadratically with the separation and inversely to the squared atom-surface distance.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.73.032902

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We present a first-principles derivation of spatial atomic-sublevel decoherence near dielectric and metallic surfaces. The theory is based on the electromagnetic-field quantization in absorbing dielectric media. We derive an expression for the time variation of the off-diagonal matrix element of the atomic density matrix for arbitrarily shaped substrates. For planar multilayered substrates we find that for small lateral separations of the atom's possible positions the spatial coherence decreases quadratically with the separation and inversely to the squared atom-surface distance.
We derive atomic spin relaxation rates near metallic and superconducting surfaces. Our results are based on a quantum-theoretical treatment of electromagnetic radiation near absorbing bodies. We show that there exists an atom-surface distance for which the expected relaxation rate becomes maximal and we discuss its dependence on the skin depth of the substrate material. In view of this effect we examine the possible use of superconducting materials. Furthermore, we discuss the influence of absorbing materials on spatial coherences in optical lattices.
Here we present a systematic study of the dynamics of a single quantum emitter near a flat metal-dielectric interface. We identify the key elements that determine the onset of reversibility in these systems by using a formalism suited for absorbing media and through an exact integration of the dynamics. Moreover, when the quantum emitter separation from the surface is small, we are able to describe the dynamics within a pseudomode description that yields analytical understanding and allows more powerful calculations.
Abstract : Optical properties of an atom in the vicinity of a metal or dielectric are different from those in free space. The spontaneous decay of an atom with two degenerate levels is studied, where the relaxation operator is obtained as a function of the atom-surface separation and the complex bulk dielectric constant epsilon(omega). The Einstein coefficient A(m)(e) of an excited state jeme appears to depend on the magnetic quantum number me. A sum rule for A(m)(e) is derived, and from the rotational symmetry with respect to the surface normal it is found that A(m)(e) = A(-m)(e). A general expression for the fluorescent radiation field in the far zone is then derived, which incorporates the polarization properties of the fluorescence, as they are modified by the presence of the dielectric. It is shown that the angular distribution of the emitted intensity depends strongly on epsilon(omega), and it is pointed out how information about the substrate, e.g., epsilon(omega), can be extracted from the temporal statistical behavior of the emitted photons. It is emphasized that the major surface effects are purely geometrical, despite the essential quantum nature of the problem. Keywords: Spontaneous decay, Atomic fluorescence, Atom near metal surface, Absorbing dielectric, Einstein coefficient, Magnetic quantum number.
We study how the radiative properties of a dense ensemble of atoms can be modified when they are placed near or between metallic or dielectric surfaces. If the average separation between the atoms is comparable or smaller than the wavelength of the scattered photons, the coupling to the radiation field induces long-range coherent interactions based on the interatomic exchange of virtual photons. Moreover, the incoherent scattering of photons back to the electromagnetic field is known to be a many-body process, characterized by the appearance of superradiant and subradiant emission modes. By changing the radiation field properties, in this case by considering a layered medium where the atoms are near metallic or dielectric surfaces, these scattering properties can be dramatically modified. We perform a detailed study of these effects, with focus on experimentally relevant parameter regimes. We finish with a specific application in the context of quantum information storage, where the presence of a nearby surface is shown to increase the storage time of an atomic excitation that is transported across a one-dimensional chain.
Optical properties of an atom in the vicinity of a metal or dielectric are different from those in free space. The spontaneous decay of an atom with two degenerate levels is studied, where the relaxation operator is obtained as a function of the atom-surface separation and the complex bulk dielectric of an excited state \ensuremath{\Vert}je{j}_{e}je​me{m}_{e}me​〉 appears to depend on the magnetic is derived, and from the rotational symmetry with respect to the surface normal it is found . A general expression for the fluorescent radiation field in the far zone is then derived, which incorporates the polarization properties of the fluorescence, as they are modified by the presence of the dielectric. It is shown that the angular distribution of the emitted intensity depends strongly on \ensuremath{\epsilon}(\ensuremath{\omega}), and it is pointed out how information about the substrate, e.g., \ensuremath{\epsilon}(\ensuremath{\omega}), can be extracted from the temporal statistical behavior of the emitted photons. It is emphasized that the major surface effects are purely geometrical, despite the essential quantum nature of the problem.
The spontaneous relaxation rates for an atom in free space and close to an absorbing surface are calculated to various orders of the electromagnetic multipole expansion. The spontaneous decay rates for dipole, quadrupole, and octupole transitions are calculated in terms of their respective primitive electric multipole moments and the magnetic relaxation rate is calculated for the dipole and quadrupole transitions in terms of their respective primitive magnetic multipole moments. The theory of electromagnetic-field quantization in magnetoelectric materials is used to derive general expressions for the decay rates in terms of the dyadic Green's function. We focus on the decay rates in free space and near an infinite half space. For the decay of atoms near to an absorbing dielectric surface, we find a hierarchy of scaling laws depending on the atom-surface distance zzz.