The Truncated Metallo-dielectric Omnidirectional Reflector: Collecting Single Photons in the Fundamental Gaussian Mode with 95% Efficiency

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel omnidirectional photonic bandgap antenna that efficiently collects single photons into a fundamental Gaussian mode with over 95% efficiency, enhancing quantum photonic applications.

Contribution

The work presents a new antenna design leveraging omnidirectional bandgap effects to achieve high-efficiency photon collection into a low-divergence mode, verified through rigorous simulations.

Findings

Collection efficiency exceeds 95% into the Gaussian mode.

Designs are broadband and tolerant to fabrication imperfections.

Compatible with various solid-state emitters.

Abstract

We propose a novel antenna structure which funnels single photons from a single emitter with unprecedented efficiency into a low-divergence fundamental Gaussian mode. Our device relies on the concept of creating an omnidirectional photonic bandgap to inhibit unwanted large-angle emission and to enhance small-angle defect-guided-mode emission. The new photon collection strategy is intuitively illustrated, rigorously verified and optimized by implementing an efficient body-of-revolution finite-difference time-domain method for in-plane dipole emitters. We investigate a few antenna designs to cover various boundary conditions posed by fabrication processes or material restrictions and theoretically demonstrate that collection efficiencies into the fundamental Gaussian mode exceeding 95% are achievable. Our antennas are broadband, insensitive to fabrication imperfections and compatible with a variety of solid-state emitters such as organic molecules, quantum dots and defect centers in diamond. Unidirectional and low-divergence Gaussian-mode emission from a single emitter may enable the realization of a variety of photonic quantum computer architectures as well as highly efficient light-matter interfaces.