Two-photon scattering effect of a single Mie scatterer

Abstract

We perform a theoretical study on the two-photon scattering effect of a single Mie scatterer, and investigate its dependence on the rotation angle of the scatterer, and the wavelength and polarization of incident light. Different regions of the two-photon correlation map are recognized by investigating two parameters, i.e., the visibility of two-photon superposition that represents the path information of different two-photon paths, and the balance factor of the double-side single-photon scattering amplitude that indicates the possibility of the single-photon scattering process. It is shown that the two-photon scattering pattern is a result of two-photon interference from the incoherent to fully coherent regime, together with a contribution from a single-photon-like correlation. In the coherent two-photon interference region, it is found that the transition from destructive to constructive interference emerges by rotating the scatterer, as well as by changing the polarization of incident light. These results demonstrate the rich features of the two-photon scattering effect for a single Mie scatterer, and open new possibilities to explore nano scatterers for controlling two-photon interference, and their applications in communications, sensing, and imaging.