Green function formalism for resonant interaction of x-rays with nuclei in structured media

TL;DR

This paper develops a Green's function-based quantum optical model to analyze the resonant interaction of x-ray photons with nuclei in structured media, offering insights into cavity effects on nuclear spectra.

Contribution

The paper introduces a versatile Green's function formalism for modeling x-ray nuclear interactions in layered structures, enhancing theoretical understanding and predictive capabilities.

Findings

Model accurately predicts nuclear response spectra.

Cavity structure significantly influences spectral features.

Validation with semiclassical simulations confirms model reliability.

Abstract

The resonant interaction between x-ray photons and nuclei is one of the most exciting subjects of the burgeoning field of x-ray quantum optics. A resourceful platform used so far are thin-film x-ray cavities with embedded layers or M\"ossbauer nuclei such as $^{57}\mathrm{Fe}$. A new quantum optical model based on the classical electromagnetic Green's function is developed to investigate theoretically the nuclear response inside the x-ray cavity. The model is versatile and provides an intuitive picture about the influence of the cavity structure on the resulting spectra. We test its predictive powers with the help of the semiclassical coherent scattering formalism simulations and discuss our results for increasing complexity of layer structures.