Nanopolaritons: Vacuum Rabi splitting with a single quantum dot in the center of a dimer nanoantenna

TL;DR

This paper introduces nanopolaritons, demonstrating strong coupling of a single quantum dot with a dimer nanoantenna, enabling ultra-compact quantum optical components at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It proposes the concept of nanopolaritons and shows that strong coupling can be achieved with a single quantum dot in a nanoscale metallic dimer system.

Findings

Strong coupling regime achieved with a single quantum dot.

Nanopolaritons enable ultra-compact quantum optical elements.

System size only 36 nm across.

Abstract

The demonstration of enhanced spontaneous emission of nanoscaled optical emitters near metallic nanoparticles and the recent realization of a nanolaser based on surface plasmon amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (spaser) encourage the search for strong coupling regime at the nanoscale. Here we propose the concept of nanopolaritons. We demonstrate with accurate scattering calculations that the strong coupling regime of a single quantum emitter (a semiconductor quantum dot) placed in the gap between two metallic nanoparticles can be achieved. The largest dimension of the investigated system is only 36 nm. Nanopolaritons will advance our fundamental understanding of surface plasmon enhanced optical interactions and could be used as ultra-compact elements in quantum-information technology.