Macroscopic QED for quantum nanophotonics: Emitter-centered modes as a minimal basis for multi-emitter problems

TL;DR

This paper reviews macroscopic quantum electrodynamics in nanophotonics, emphasizing emitter-centered modes as a minimal basis for multi-emitter quantum optical problems, with applications to hybrid metallodielectric structures.

Contribution

It introduces an exact, complete, and minimal basis for field quantization in multi-emitter systems based on emitter-centered modes, enhancing modeling of quantum nanophotonics.

Findings

Emitter-centered modes provide a minimal basis for multi-emitter quantization.

The approach is demonstrated in a hybrid metallodielectric geometry.

The framework emphasizes gauge independence and classical field pumping.

Abstract

We present an overview of the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics from a quantum nanophotonics perspective. Particularly, we focus our attention on three aspects of the theory which are crucial for the description of quantum optical phenomena in nanophotonic structures. First, we review the light-matter interaction Hamiltonian itself, with special emphasis on its gauge independence and the minimal and multipolar coupling schemes. Second, we discuss the treatment of the external pumping of quantum-optical systems by classical electromagnetic fields. Third, we introduce an exact, complete and minimal basis for the field quantization in multi-emitter configurations, which is based on the so-called emitter-centered modes. Finally, we illustrate this quantization approach in a particular hybrid metallodielectric geometry: two quantum emitters placed in the vicinity of a dimer of Ag nanospheres embedded in a SiN microdisk.