Scanning emitter lifetime imaging microscopy for spontaneous emission control

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel scanning emitter lifetime imaging microscopy technique that maps local optical states in nano-photonic structures by repositioning a fluorescent emitter and measuring its lifetime, enabling control over spontaneous emission.

Contribution

The work presents an experimental method to deterministically and reversibly map and manipulate the local density of optical states using a scanning probe with a fluorescent emitter.

Findings

Reversible control of emitter decay rate by a factor of two.

Imaging of local density of optical states around metal nanowires.

Demonstration of coupling to plasmonic modes for emission control.

Abstract

We report an experimental technique to map and exploit the local density of optical states of arbitrary planar nano-photonic structures. The method relies on positioning a spontaneous emitter attached to a scanning probe deterministically and reversibly with respect to its photonic environment while measuring its lifetime. We demonstrate the method by imaging the enhancement of the local density of optical states around metal nanowires. By nano-positioning, the decay rate of a pointlike source of fluorescence can be reversibly and repeatedly changed by a factor of two by coupling it to the guided plasmonic mode of the wire.