Optical size resonances in nanostructures

The existence of optical size resonances in atomic nanostructures is proved. The properties of optical size resonances strongly depend on the interatomic distances and on the polarization of an external radiation field. The properties of linear and nonlinear size resonances are considered in the case of two-dimensional nanostructures. The linear optical size resonances are described based on a closed system of equations for dipole oscillators and nonlocal field equations taking into account the dipole-dipole interactions of atoms in the radiation field. Using a stationary solution to these equations, it is demonstrated that two isotropic atoms with definite intrinsic frequencies form an anisotropic system in the radiation field, possessing two or four size resonances depending on whether the component atoms are identical or different. The nanostructure composed of two different atoms possesses two size resonances with positive dispersion and two other resonances with negative dispersion. The frequencies of the size resonances significantly differ from the intrinsic frequencies of isolated atoms entering into the nanostructure. By changing the angle of incidence of the external wave, it is possible to excite various size resonances. The properties of nonlinear optical size resonances excited by an intense radiation field were theoretically and numerically studied using the modified Bloch equations and nonlocal field equations. Dispersion relationships for the nonlinear resonances were derived and the inversion properties of atoms in the nanostructure were studied for various polarizations of the external optical wave.     

Optical holography of nanostructure diatomic objects for different polarizations of the external wave and dimensional resonances

For the combined system of equations of field and atomic variables for two different atoms in the ground state, a stationary solution is obtained, which takes into account their dipole-dipole interaction in the field of external emission. Atoms are treated as linear dipole oscillators with different natural frequencies and linear polarizabilities. Formulas for effective polarizabilities of atoms in a nanostructure object, whose dispersion properties substantially differ from the dispersion properties of isolated atoms in the region of their natural resonances, are obtained. It is found that a nanostructure object consisting of two different atoms has four dimensional resonances, whose frequencies strongly depend on the interatomic separation and the object orientation with respect to the direction of propagation of an external wave. Using interference from the coherent field of dipoles of a small object with a reference coherent wave in a certain plane of observation points in the wave region far from a small object, an optical hologram of a small object is obtained. It is shown by numerical experiments that a small object forms interference fringes with good contrast, which makes possible the use of optical quasi-resonant emission for the development of a nondestructive method of study of small objects.     

Dynamics of interaction between two-level atoms in a laser field and linear stationary optical dimensional resonances

Formulas for radiative forces acting on the atoms of a diatomic object in a field of external laser radiation are obtained with allowance made for the interatomic dipole-dipole interaction. It is shown that one can control the motion of the atoms by gradually varying the frequency of external laser radiation due to the presence of optical dimensional resonances in the spectrum of the diatomic object.     

Linear nonstationary optical dimensional resonances in atomic nanostructures

The existence of linear nonstationary optical resonances in a diatomic nanostructural object with a dipole-dipole atomic interaction has been proved. A new solution to the joint system of modified Bloch optical equations and nonlocal field equations is obtained for time intervals much shorter than the times of phase and energy relaxation. Formulas for effective polarizabilities of the object’s atoms, which have a set of dimensional resonances, are derived. The frequencies of these resonances significantly differ from the eigenfrequencies of the object’s atoms, and their properties depend on the interatomic distance, light-pulse duration, initial atomic inversions, and the orientation of the object’s axis relative to the direction of incidence of the external light wave.     

Near-field effect in two-atom system

The self-consistent problem is solved for the interaction of two dipole atoms situated at arbitrary distance from one another with the field of quasiresonant light wave. Atoms are considered to be linear Lorenz oscillators. Polarizing fields inside the system include both Coulomb and retarding parts. The solutions obtained are investigated for the case when atoms have the same polarizabilities and interatomic distance is much less than external light wavelength. Formulas for electric fields inside and outside of small object are obtained. It is shown that longitudinal and transverse optical oscillations are possible to exist inside small two-atom object. Dispersion laws of these oscillations depend upon interatomic distance and upon angle between axis of the system and the direction of propagation of external wave. The field outside the small object in wave zone is linearly polarized with the choice of linear polarization of external field. However, the directions of polarization of these waves are different and depend essentially upon frequency. The amplitude of field outside small object in wave zone is shown to depend essentially on the frequency of external field and interatomic distance. The results obtained are treated as near-field effect in the optics of small objects making it possible to investigate the structure of small objects with optical radiation. Received 26 October 1998 and Received in final form 26 January 2000     

Optical Resonances in One-Dimensional Chains of Dipole Centers

The problem on the interaction of optical radiation with a nanostructure representing a one-dimensional (linear) chain of electrodynamically interacting dipole centers — atoms — has been considered. It has been shown that the number of optical resonances of the nanostructure and the detuning of the resonance frequencies from the eigenfrequency of the atom are only determined by the internal parameters of the nanostructure. The dependence of the number of resonances on the number of atoms in the nanostructure has been established. For nanostructures having a symmetry center, the number of resonances in atoms depends also on the orientation of the nanostructure axis with respect to the direction of external-wave propagation.     

Coherent energy transfer from one atom to another under a selective excitation of one of them by a field of continuous optical radiation and optical size resonances

The existence of a new sort of optical size resonances formed due to the self-consistent coherent interaction of atoms when one of them is excited by a field of continuous optical radiation is proved. The processes of energy transfer from the thus-excited atom to large (of the order of several wavelengths) interatomic distances are considered. It is shown that these processes can be observed in the wave zone upon the interference of the optical fields formed by the oscillating dipole moments of the interacting atoms.     

The near-field effect in a system of two-level dipole particles

We have solved a self-consistent problem on interaction of two dipole atoms located at an arbitrary distance from each other with the field of a quasiresonance light wave, whose intensity is sufficient for the system to manifest nonlinear properties. The atoms are considered as two-level systems described by means of Bloch optical equations, while the field inside of the system includes both Coulomb and retarded parts. We consider a situation where atoms are identical and the distance between them is much smaller than the length of an outer light wave. The distribution of an electric field both inside of a small object and outside of it is found numerically. It is shown that the amplitude of the electric field in a wave zone depends substantially on the frequency of the external field and interatomic distance, while the field distribution differs from the field pattern of an electric dipole. At definite values of the external field intensity an optical multistability is a feature of the system under investigation. We have elucidated the conditions under which the multistability is manifested in the present system. The results obtained are considered as the near-field effect in the optics of small objects, which makes it possible to investigate the structure of small objects by means of optical radiation. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 3, pp. 375–378, May–June, 2000. The present work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (grant 98-02-16035) and by a grant from the Federal Purpose-Oriented Program “Integration.”     

Dynamics of moving interacting atoms in a laser radiation field and optical size resonances

The forces acting on interacting moving atoms exposed to resonant laser radiation are calculated. It is shown that the forces acting on the atoms include the radiation pressure forces as well as the external and internal bias forces. The dependences of the forces on the atomic spacing, polarization, and laser radiation frequency are given. It is found that the internal bias force associated with the interaction of atomic dipoles via the reemitted field may play an important role in the dynamics of dense atomic ensembles in a light field. It is shown that optical size resonances appear in the system of interacting atoms at frequencies differing substantially from transition frequencies in the spectrum of atoms. It is noted that optical size resonances as well as the Doppler frequency shift in the spectrum of interacting atoms play a significant role in the processes of laser-radiation-controlled motion of the atoms.     

Metastructural systems of activated nanospheres and optical near-field resonances

The near-field interaction of two spherical nanoparticles containing dense ensembles of two-or multilevel atoms in an external field of optical low-intensity radiation is shown to result in the formation of resonances whose frequencies differ considerably from the transition frequencies in the spectrum of the interacting atoms. Optical near-field resonances are shown to play an important role in metastructural systems composed of activated nanospheres. The reflectance of a metastructural system of activated nanospheres oriented along a certain direction depends strongly on the polarization and the frequency of external radiation, as well as on the concentration of impurity atoms inside the nanospheres and on their sizes.     

Near-field effect in optics of small objects composed of dipole atoms

A self-consistent problem of interaction of two dipole atoms separated by an unrestricted distance with the field of a quasi-resonance light wave was solved on the assumption that the investigated atoms are Lorentz linear oscillators and the polarizing fields inside the system consist of the Coulomb and the retarded parts. The solution obtained was investigated for the case where the atoms have the same polarizability and the distance between them is much smaller than the length of the external light wave. Formulas for the electric fields inside a small object and outside it have been obtained. It is shown that inside a small two-atom object there can take place longitudinal and transverse optical vibrations accompanied by corresponding dispersion effects depending on the interatomic distance and the angle between the axis of the system and the direction of propagation of the external light wave. The field outside the small object in the wave zone is linearly polarized when the external wave has linear polarization. However, the direction of polarization of the corresponding waves is largely determined by their frequency. It is also shown that the amplitude of the field outside the small object in the wave zone depends greatly on the frequency of the external field and the interatomic distance. The effects observed are considered as a near-field effect in optics of small objects. This phenomena makes it possible to investigate the structure of small objects with the use of optical radiation. Ul'yanovsk Branch of the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 48 Goncharov Str., Ul'yanovsk, 432700, Russia; e-mail: gadomsky@quant.univ.simbirsk.su. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 6, pp. 765–770, November–December, 1999.     

Boundary-value problems in near-field optical microscopy and optical size resonances

We have solved a boundary-value problem for a ball probe interacting with a flat dielectric surface in an external optical radiation field. This interaction gives rise to the optical size resonance at frequencies significantly different from the natural frequencies of two-level atoms both in the medium and in the probe with allowance for the local field corrections. These resonances depend significantly on the distance from the probe center to the surface, on the ball probe size, on the concentration of two-level atoms in the probe and in the medium, on the spectral line width, and on the atomic inversion. The field strengths inside and outside the ball probe and a semiinfinite dielectric medium have been calculated in the near-field and wave zones. It is shown that the proposed electrodynamic theory of optical near-field microscopy agrees with the results of experimental measurements.     

Calculation of the fluorescence spectrum of two interacting atoms in external field

The radiation line profile for two identical dipole-dipole interacting two-level atoms in an external laser field is calculated. The stochastic component of the laser radiation is explicitly taken into account simulating it by the optical white noise. An explicit analytical expression for the radiation line profile is found for the case where the regular field component can be neglected.     

Method of optical near-field microscopy of foreign atoms on the surface of nonabsorbing dielectrics upon Brewster reflection of light

It is shown that, by means of measuring the frequency dependence of the ellipticity of light reflected at the Brewster angle from the plane surface of a nonabsorbing dielectric, one can reveal on it nanostructural objects consisting of foreign atoms or molecules. They manifest themselves by the presence of size resonances, arising in these structures in a field of optical radiation because of the dipole-dipole interaction of the atoms (molecules). A theoretical justification of the experimental technique that takes into account the presence of a transition layer on the surface of the dielectric is proposed.     

Dipole emission of a nanostructure system composed of two atoms and dimensional resonances

A stationary solution is obtained for the joint system of equations for atomic and field variables for two different atoms with dipole-dipole interaction in the radiation field taking into account the common radiative friction. The atoms are treated as an Lorentz oscillator with one isolated resonance. The interaction of atoms in the radiation field forms four dimensional resonances at frequencies that are substantially different from the natural frequencies of isolated atoms. Two of the four dimensional resonances are characterized by negative dispersion, and the intensity of dipole emission at these frequencies may be increased with respect to the intensity of emission at the frequencies of natural atomic resonances by a factor of about 10¹².     

Nonlinear steady-state sized resonances in diatomic nanostuctural objects

A new solution to modified Bloch equations for a diatomic quantum system consisting of two identical interacting atoms in a field of high-intensity continuous radiation is obtained. On the basis of this solution, the existence of nonlinear sized resonances whose properties strongly depend on the atomic spacing, on the polarization of the external field of radiation, and on the initial inversions of atoms constituting a nanostructural object is shown. Dispersion dependences of induced dipole moments and inversions of atoms of the object are investigated theoretically in the region of sized resonances for various irradiation conditions.     

Influence of the hyperfine structure of the atomic states on the collective effects in the Rb<Subscript>2</Subscript> quasi-molecule

A consistent quantum approach is used to study the influence of intraatomic spin–orbit and hyperfine interactions on the character of a resonance dipole–dipole interatomic interaction and, hence, collective effects. For this purpose, the collective spontaneous decay of excited states and the spectral dependence of the total scattering cross section of a monochromatic light wave are analyzed in the system consisting of two rubidium-87 atoms. The modification of the radiation properties and the interaction of the atoms with external radiation are studied as functions of the interatomic distance. The presence of a complex structure of the sublevels of both the ground and excited states is shown to modify the collective effects substantially as compared to the case when this structure is absent.     

Controlling multiparticle correlations with a strong laser field

The collective interaction via a surrounding thermalized electromagnetic reservoir of a two-level multiatom sample with an external applied strong coherent field is investigated. In a small sample following Dicke’s model, even at the exact resonances, very strong pumping leads to a complete transfer of the population into a particular dressed-state. This way very large Rabi frequencies are shown to modify and control the interatomic correlations in a system of spatially separated atoms of few wavelengths extend.     

Uncondensed atoms in the regime of velocity-selective coherent population trapping

We consider the model of a Bose condensate in the regime of velocity-selective coherent population trapping. As a result of interaction between particles, some fraction of atoms is outside the condensate, remaining in the coherent trapping state. These atoms are involved in brief events of intense interaction with external resonant electromagnetic fields. Intense induced and spontaneous transitions are accompanied by the exchange of momenta between atoms and radiation, which is manifested as migration of atoms in the velocity space. The rate of such migration is calculated. A nonlinear kinetic equation for the many-particle statistical operator for uncondensed atoms is derived under the assumption that correlations of atoms with different momenta are insignificant. The structure of its steady-state solution leads to certain conclusions about the above-mentioned migration pattern taking the Bose statistics into consideration. With allowance for statistical effects, we derive nonlinear integral equations for frequencies controlling the migration. The results of numerical solution of these equations are represented in the weak interatomic interaction approximation.