The quantum optics of asymmetric mirrors with coherent light absorption

TL;DR

This paper introduces an intuitive quantum mirror image detector method to analyze local electromagnetic field observables near asymmetric mirrors, enhancing understanding of photon interactions in quantum photonic devices.

Contribution

It presents a novel, more intuitive approach to quantum optics near asymmetric mirrors, complementing existing Green's function methods for local field observables.

Findings

The method accurately normalizes electric field operators.

It simplifies the calculation of spontaneous atomic decay rates.

Applicable to common quantum photonic device interfaces.

Abstract

The local observables of the quantised electromagnetic field near a mirror-coated interface depend strongly on the properties of the media on {\em both} sides. In macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, this fact is taken into account with the help of optical Green's functions which correlate the position of an observer with all other spatial positions and photon frequencies. Here we present an alternative, more intuitive approach and obtain the local field observables with the help of a quantum mirror image detector method [Furtak-Wells et al., Phys. Rev. A 97, 043827 (2018)]. In order to correctly normalise electric field operators, we demand that spontaneous atomic decay rates simplify to their respective free space values far away from the reflecting surface. Our approach is interesting, since mirror-coated interfaces constitute a common basic building block for quantum photonic devices.