Resonance fluorescence in an atom + dielectric microsphere system excited by a single photon

Abstract

The resonance interaction of a two-level atom with a continuum of free-space modes modified by the presence of a dielectric microsphere (modified free-space modes — MFSMs) is studied. In the case that quantized MFSMs are initially excited within the contour of one of the resonance modes of the microsphere, the spectrum of emitted photons depends strongly on the excitation method. Under optimal excitation conditions efficient excitation of the atom accompanied by the formation of a Rabi doublet in the fluorescence spectrum occur. As the excitation conditions depart from optimality, the spectrum becomes a triplet. If the departure from optimality of excitation is large, the atom remains essentially unexcited, and the fluorescence spectrum has a singlet character.