Fluctuations of the Electromagnetic Local Density of States as a Probe for Structural Phase Switching

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that fluorescence lifetime statistics of single quantum emitters can detect structural phase switching in scattering media, even when scattering properties are indistinguishable.

Contribution

It introduces a method to identify phase transitions in scattering media through emitter lifetime statistics, revealing dynamical states not observable via traditional scattering measurements.

Findings

Lifetime statistics depend on the medium's phase state.

Phase switching signatures are detectable via emitter decay rates.

Light scattering properties alone do not reveal phase transitions.

Abstract

We study the statistics of the fluorescence decay rates for single quantum emitters embedded in a scattering medium undergoing a phase transition. Under certain circumstances, the structural properties of the scattering medium explore a regime in which the system dynamically switches between two different phases. While in that regime the light scattering properties of both phases are hardly distinguishable, we demonstrate that the lifetime statistics of single emitters with low diffusivity is clearly dependent on the dynamical state in which the medium evolves. Hence, lifetime statistics provides clear signatures of phase switching in systems where light scattering does not.