Cooperative Interactions in Lattices of Atomic Dipoles

Description

This thesis reports the remarkable discovery that, by arranging the dipoles in an ordered array with particular spacings, it is possible to greatly enhance the cross-section and achieve a strong light-matter coupling (>98% of the incident light). It also discusses the broad background to cooperative behaviour in atomic ensembles, and analyses in detail effects in one- and two-dimensional atomic arrays. In general, when light interacts with matter it excites electric dipoles and since the nineteenth century it has been known that if the amplitude of these induced dipoles is sufficiently large, and their distance apart is on the scale of the wavelength of the light, then their mutual interaction significantly modifies the light–matter interaction. However, it was not known how to exploit this effect to modify the light–matter interaction in a desirable way, for example in order to enhance the optical cross-section. Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Introduction....Pages 1-11 Front Matter....Pages 13-14 Single Two-Level Atom....Pages 15-37 Multiple Four-Level Atoms....Pages 39-59 Observables....Pages 61-76 Front Matter....Pages 77-78 Two Atoms....Pages 79-87 One-Dimensional Atom Array....Pages 89-105 Front Matter....Pages 107-107 Eigenmodes in a Two-Dimensional Atomic Monolayer ....Pages 109-119 Extinction in a Two-Dimensional Atomic Monolayer....Pages 121-140 Front Matter....Pages 141-141 Conclusions and Outlook....Pages 143-145 Back Matter....Pages 147-169