High reflectance and optical dynamics of a metasurface comprizing quantum $\Lambda$-emitters

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates a quantum $ ext{Lambda}$-emitter monolayer's reflectance, revealing high reflectivity and complex nonlinear optical behaviors like bistability and chaos, with potential nanophotonic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model of a dense quantum $ ext{Lambda}$-emitter monolayer showing exotic optical dynamics near resonance, highlighting new nonlinear phenomena.

Findings

Near-resonance high reflectance due to collective excitonic effects

Observation of optical bistability and self-oscillations

Potential for chaotic dynamics in the system

Abstract

In this Letter, we study theoretically reflectance of a monolayer comprizing regularly spaced quantum $\Lambda$-emitters. Due to high density of the latter, the monolayer almost totally reflects the incident field in the vicinity of the system's collective (excitonic) resonance. The emitter self-action through the secondary field provides a positive feedback, interplay of which with the inherent nonlinearity of an emitter itself, results in an exotic behavior of the system reflectance, including bistability, self-oscillations, and chaotic dynamics. All these features might be of interest for nanophotonic applications