Model Theory of Enhanced Light-Matter Interaction in a PT-Symmetric Hybrid Optical Cavity

华盛顿大学的大卫·J·马西洛得到了化学系化学理论、模型和计算方法项目的支持，以构建描述光和物质如何相互作用的理论模型。光-物质相互作用的控制是量子通信和信息、传感和化学反应控制的众多进步的核心。在这个项目中，称为量子发射器-光子腔的系统是研究的对象。这些系统允许对光-物质相互作用进行准确的建模，从而产生可以通过实验验证和改进的预测模型。这项工作的更广泛影响包括Masiello教授在几个教育和外展项目中的持续指导，包括那些促进代表不足的少数群体、女性和第一代学生参与STEM领域的项目(例如，扩展您的视野、引入女孩、台地日和可持续地平线研究所)。该研究项目本身与几个测试理论预测的实验小组高度合作。这项工作的结果可能代表着从单发射器-腔系统发展到未来耦合腔阵列的下一个基本步骤，例如模拟量子多体现象所需的阵列。理论模型将提供对最简单的可能的复合光学腔的相互作用和杂化的迫切需要的理解，即那些只由两个谐振器组成的腔。这项工作为基本理解耦合腔的复杂网络提供了下一个合乎逻辑的步骤，耦合腔在光通信、计算、传感和复杂量子多体现象的模拟中具有实用价值。这个项目的具体目标是建立必要的分析模型，严格描述耦合光腔中的腔模杂交，超越耦合模理论，并阐明嵌入在混合纳米光子腔中关键位置的量子发射器的珀塞尔增强光发射。马西洛教授还将利用耦合光子腔中的PT对称性来控制位于每个腔中的单个量子发射器之间的纠缠动力学。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

David J. Masiello of the University of Washington is supported by an award from the Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods program in the Division of Chemistry to construct theoretical models describing how light and matter interact. Control of light-matter interaction is central to numerous advances in quantum communication and information, sensing, and control of chemical reactions. In this project systems called quantum emitter-photonic cavities are the subject of investigation. These systems permit accurate modeling of light-matter interactions, leading to predictive models that can be verified and refined by experiments. Broader impacts of this work include Professor Masiello's continued mentoring in several education and outreach programs, including those which promote participation of under-represented groups of minorities, women, and first generation students in STEM fields (for example, Expanding your Horizons, Introduce a Girl, MESA Day, and the Sustainable Horizons Institute). The research project itself is highly collaborative with several experimental groups testing the theoretical predictions.The results of the work may represent the next fundamental step in progressing from single emitter-cavity systems to future arrays of coupled cavities, such as those necessary for the simulation of quantum many-body phenomena. The theoretical models will provide much needed understandings of the interactions and hybridizations of the simplest possible composite optical cavities, i.e., those composed of just two resonators. This work provides a next logical step towards the fundamental understanding of complex networks of coupled cavities, which are finding utility in optical communications, computing, sensing, and the simulation of complex quantum many-body phenomena. Specific objectives of this project are to develop the analytic models necessary to rigorously describe cavity mode hybridization in a pair of coupled optical cavities beyond coupled-mode theory and to elucidate the Purcell enhanced emission of light from quantum emitters embedded at strategic locations within hybrid nanophotonic cavities. Professor Masiello will also exploit PT-symmetry in a coupled photonic cavity to control entanglement dynamics between individual quantum emitters located in each cavity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.