Large Vacuum Rabi Splitting Research Articles

Strong coupling with directional scattering features of metal nanoshells with monolayer WS2 heterostructures

Realizing and manipulating strong light–matter coupling in 2D monolayer semiconductors are of the utmost importance in the development of photonic devices. Hollow nanostructures of noble metals are particularly interesting because of their stronger local electromagnetic field compared with solid nanoparticles, which facilitate the strong coupling of single metal nanostructures. Here, the tunable single nanocavity plasmon–exciton coupling was demonstrated at room temperature in hybrid systems consisting of Ag@Au hollow nanocubes (HNCs) and monolayer WS2 underneath, where a large vacuum Rabi splitting of 131.3 meV was observed. Mode splitting can be clearly observed from the dark-field scattering spectrum of the single hybrid nanocavity, which is ascribed to the strong coupling between the nanocavity mode and the excitonic mode. Then, we used the finite difference time domain method to simulate these hybrid systems. By changing the thickness of the shell of the Ag@Au HNC, we can tune the surface plasmon resonance peak position of HNCs to match the exciton energy of the monolayer WS2. The strong couplings were realized via the calculated scattering spectra. The calculated results were consistent with the experimental results. Furthermore, the mode volume of different nanostructures was discussed, and the mode volume of HNCs is smaller than other solid ones at the same plasmonic resonance wavelength, which also indicates that its ability to restrict an electromagnetic field is stronger. This study provides an ideal platform for the strong coupling of a single nanocavity at room temperature and has broad application prospects in the field of single-photon devices.

Large vacuum Rabi splitting between a single quantum dot and an H0 photonic crystal nanocavity

Strong light matter interactions between semiconductor quantum dots and optical micro/nanocavities are useful resources for developing quantum information processing devices and for exploring diverse quantum optical phenomena. In pursuit of better device performances and novel physics, it is desirable to achieve a larger coupling constant between the quantum dot and the cavity while keeping the high coherence of the coupled system. In this letter, we report the observation of a large vacuum Rabi splitting of ∼328 μeV using a single InAs quantum dot embedded in a GaAs-based H0 photonic crystal nanocavity, which possesses a near-diffraction limited mode volume as well as a high experimental Q factor of ∼52 000. The resulting figure of merit of the strongly coupled systems, defined as a ratio of the coupling constant to the cavity decay rate, reaches 6.4, which is the record high value for semiconductor QD-nanocavity systems reported to date.

Approaching ultrastrong coupling in transmon circuit QED using a high-impedance resonator

In this experiment, we couple a superconducting Transmon qubit to a high-impedance $645\ \Omega$ microwave resonator. Doing so leads to a large qubit-resonator coupling rate $g$, measured through a large vacuum Rabi splitting of $2g\simeq 910$ MHz. The coupling is a significant fraction of the qubit and resonator oscillation frequencies $\omega$, placing our system close to the ultra-strong coupling regime ($\bar{g}=g/\omega=0.071$ on resonance). Combining this setup with a vacuum-gap Transmon architecture shows the potential of reaching deep into the ultra-strong coupling $\bar{g} \sim 0.45$ with Transmon qubits.

Sub-cycle switching of a photonic bandstructure via ultrastrong light-matter coupling

Phase-locked multi-terahertz transients map out the full photonic bandstructure of a one-dimensional photonic crystal while a 12-fs control pulse activates ultrastrong interaction on a sub-cycle time scale with quantized electronic transitions in semiconductor quantum wells. We trace the build-up dynamics of a large vacuum Rabi splitting and observe an unexpected asymmetric formation of the upper and lower polariton bands. The pronounced flattening of the photonic bands causes a slow-down of the group velocity by one order of magnitude on the time scale of the oscillation period of light.

Nonadiabatic switching of a photonic band structure: Ultrastrong light-matter coupling and slow-down of light

We map out the band structure of a one-dimensional photonic crystal while a 12-fs control pulse activates ultrastrong interaction with quantized electronic transitions in semiconductor quantum wells. Phase-locked multi-terahertz transients trace the buildup of a large vacuum Rabi splitting and an unexpected asymmetric formation of the upper and lower polariton bands. The pronounced flattening of the photonic bands causes a slow-down of the group velocity by one order of magnitude on the time scale of the oscillation period of light.

Graphene Plasmonics: A Platform for Strong Light–Matter Interactions

Graphene plasmons provide a suitable alternative to noble-metal plasmons because they exhibit much tighter confinement and relatively long propagation distances, with the advantage of being highly tunable via electrostatic gating. Here, we propose to use graphene plasmons as a platform for strongly enhanced light-matter interactions. Specifically, we predict unprecedented high decay rates of quantum emitters in the proximity of a carbon sheet, observable vacuum Rabi splittings, and extinction cross sections exceeding the geometrical area in graphene nanoribbons and nanodisks. Our theoretical results provide the basis for the emerging and potentially far-reaching field of graphene plasmonics, offering an ideal platform for cavity quantum electrodynamics, and supporting the possibility of single-molecule, single-plasmon devices.

Characteristics of exciton-polaritons in ZnO- based hybrid microcavities

Wide bandgap semiconductors are promising materials for the development of polariton-based optoelectronic devices operating at room temperature (RT). We report the characteristics of ZnO-based microcavities (MCs) in the strong coupling regime at RT with a vacuum Rabi splitting of 72 meV. The impact of scattering states of excitons on polariton dispersion is investigated. Only the lower polariton branches (LPBs) can be clearly observed in ZnO MCs since the large vacuum Rabi splitting pushes the upper polariton branches (UPBs) into the scattering absorption states in the ZnO bulk active region. In addition, we systematically investigate the polariton relaxation bottleneck in bulk ZnO-based MCs. Angle-resolved photoluminescence measurements are performed from 100 to 300 K for different cavity-exciton detunings. A clear polariton relaxation bottleneck is observed at low temperature and large negative cavity detuning conditions. The bottleneck is suppressed with increasing temperature and decreasing detuning, due to more efficient phonon-assisted relaxation and a longer radiative lifetime of the polaritons.

Fabrication, characterization and its local reflection properties of a metal-mirror microcavity with high concentrated PIC J-aggregates

We have investigated reflection properties of light-matter strong coupling in a planar metal-mirror microcavity with highly concentrated PIC J-aggregates. Large vacuum Rabi-splitting ranging from 100 to 250 meV is obtained depending on the concentration of the J-aggregates. The factors for providing these large Rabi-splitting will be discussed based on its concentration dependence. We also present our recent study focused on microscopic reflection properties of the microcavity. We have improved microscope optics which enables us to measure local reflection spectra within 0.3-μm-diameter area. Observation of incident-light-angle dependence becomes possible. We found existence of micrometer-scale inhomogeneity in the Rabi-splitting (e.g. ±10% in a 17μm×17μm region), which will be interpreted mainly by the spatial distribution of J’s in the active layer.

Large vacuum Rabi splitting in ZnO-based hybrid microcavities observed at room temperature

Wide-band gap ZnO semiconductors are attractive materials for the investigation of microcavity exciton polaritons due to the large exciton binding energy and oscillator strength. We report the growth and characterization of bulk ZnO-based hybrid microcavity. The phenomenon of strong exciton-photon coupling at room temperature has been observed in the ZnO-based hybrid microcavity structure, which consists of 30 pair epitaxially grown AlN/AlGaN distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) on the bottom side of the 3/2λ thick ZnO cavity and 9 pair SiO2/HfO2 DBR as the top mirror. The cavity quality factor is about 221. The experimental results show good agreement with theoretically calculated exciton-polariton dispersion curves based on transfer matrix method. From the theoretical and experimental exciton-polariton dispersion curves with two different cavity-exciton detuning values, the large vacuum Rabi splitting is estimated to be about 58 meV in the ZnO-based hybrid microcavity.

Large vacuum Rabi splitting in a multiple quantum well GaN-based microcavity in the strong-coupling regime

An $\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{In}\mathrm{N}∕\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}$ microcavity (MC) containing a $\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}∕{\mathrm{Al}}_{0.2}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{0.8}\mathrm{N}$ multiple quantum well (MQW) structure is investigated through room temperature (RT) photoluminescence and reflectivity experiments. A vacuum Rabi splitting as large as $50\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ at RT is reported for this MC structure, the highest value reported so far for a semiconductor MC containing QWs. This is shown to result from a geometry combining a state of the art nitride-based MC with a MQW system where the built-in electric field has a reduced impact on the oscillator strength of optical transitions. The contribution of Bragg modes seen in optical spectra is well accounted for by transfer matrix simulations. In addition, the sensitivity of the present system to the tuning between the various optical components of the microcavity (bottom and top Bragg reflectors and active cavity region) to maximize the strong-coupling regime is also shown through simulations. Prospects regarding the nonlinear polariton emission from such a structure indicate that this type of MCs could potentially sustain ultrafast polariton parametric amplification up to $440\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, thanks to an increased exciton binding energy. More generally, it is predicted that, owing to a large exciton saturation density in excess of $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{12}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ per QW, such a MC structure would be suitable for the observation of nonlinear effects associated with cavity polaritons (polariton lasing and polariton Bose-Einstein condensates) at RT and above.

Polariton kinetics for bosonic condensation in CdTe-microcavities for various Rabi splittings and detunings

The applied Boltzmann relaxation kinetics for stationary and ps-pulsed nonresonant pumping takes the polariton–acoustic phonon and the polariton–polariton scattering into account. For cavities with a vacuum Rabi splitting around Ω = 8 meV , we find for ps-pulse excitation a transient bosonic condensation in the ground state. For microcavities with a large vacuum Rabi splitting of Ω = 26 meV we find for zero detuning, due to the steep increase of radiative losses, a condensation with a macroscopically occupied state in the wavenumber region at which the Bragg mirrors become transparent. With positive detunings which increase the scattering rates, the finite-size Bose–Einstein condensation in the ground state is restored.

Microcavity polariton kinetics for bosonic condensation and lasing in II-VI compound materials

We investigate with a Boltzmann approach the relaxation kinetics of II-VI compound microcavity polaritons after a nonresonant pump pulse for the example of CdTe. In these polar materials large vacuum Rabi microcavity splittings guarantee robust polariton modes in the strong-coupling regime with an extremely small effective mass at the bottom of the lower branch, but with very short cavity lifetimes. Our kinetic treatment for stationary and picosecond-pulsed pumping takes the polariton--acoustic-phonon as well as the polariton-polariton scattering into account. For cavities with a vacuum Rabi splitting around $\ensuremath{\Omega}=10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$, we find for nonresonant picosecond-pulse excitation a relaxation scenario which leads to a transient bosonic condensation in the lowest polariton state and coherent laser action at densities smaller than the exciton saturation density. For microcavities with a large vacuum Rabi splitting of $\ensuremath{\Omega}=26\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ we find due to the steep increase of radiative losses and the simultaneous steep decrease of the scattering rates with decreasing energy a nonequilibrium phase transition with a macroscopically occupied state in the bottleneck region at a finite transverse momentum and a connected coherent laser emission under an angle of 17\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. All of our results for medium and large Rabi vacuum splitting are in good qualitative agreement with corresponding observations of Dang and co-workers

Strong coupling of exciton and photon modes in photonic crystal infiltrated with organic–inorganic layered perovskite

Large vacuum Rabi-splitting, the evidence of strong coupling of photon and exciton modes, was observed at room temperature in an ordered array of silica microspheres infiltrated with organic–inorganic layered perovskite. By natural sedimentation of a colloidal suspension of monodispersed silica microspheres with a diameter of 256 nm, three-dimensional ordered array of silica microspheres (silica opal) were prepared. Into an air space of the silica opal, organic–inorganic perovskite, bis-(phenethylammonium) tetraiodoplumbate (PAPI), which exhibits intense exciton absorption at 2.40 eV, was infiltrated. The silica opal infiltrated with PAPI (23% of air space was filled) exhibited a stop band at 2.13 eV, when observed at a normal direction to the sample surface. By changing the observation angle, the coupling of the stop band at around 2.1–2.4 eV and the exciton band at 2.40 eV due to PAPI was attained. From angle-tuning measurements of reflection spectra, a vacuum Rabi-splitting of 240 meV was evaluated.