Linear optical elements based on cooperative subwavelength emitter arrays

TL;DR

This paper explores how two-dimensional arrays of quantum emitters can be engineered to act as efficient linear optical elements, enabling control over light transmission, polarization, and phase through cooperative effects and array design.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for using cooperative subwavelength emitter arrays as customizable linear optical components, with analytical and numerical analysis of their optical responses.

Findings

Arrays can function as polarizers and phase retarders.

Optimal array geometries enhance control over optical properties.

Tuning magnetic fields improves device performance.

Abstract

We describe applications of two-dimensional subwavelength quantum emitter arrays as efficient optical elements in the linear regime. For normally incident light, the cooperative optical response, stemming from emitter-emitter dipole exchanges, allows the control of the array's transmission, its resonance frequency, and bandwidth. Operations on fully polarized incident light, such as generic linear and circular polarizers as well as phase retarders can be engineered and described in terms of Jones matrices. Our analytical approach and accompanying numerical simulations identify optimal regimes for such operations and reveal the importance of adjusting the array geometry and of the careful tuning of the external magnetic fields amplitude and direction.