Ultrafast Population Switching of Quantum Dots in a Structured Vacuum

Journal Article · Fri Dec 04 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.103.233601· OSTI ID:21370882

Xun, Ma; John, Sajeev ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A7 (Canada)

We demonstrate picosecond, high-contrast population flipping of two-level atoms interacting with femtojoule optical pulses in a 3D photonic band gap waveguide. This is the result of giant Mollow splitting caused by strong light localization and a remarkable field-dependent relaxation of the atomic Bloch vector as it evolves near an abrupt jump in the electromagnetic density of states. Unlike steady-state switching, population inversion can remain nearly complete after the pulse subsides. This may be used for multiwavelength channel, all-optical, on-chip information processing.

• OSTI ID: 21370882
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 23 Vol. 103; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
NANOSTRUCTURES
POPULATION INVERSION
PULSES
QUANTUM DOTS
RELAXATION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
WAVEGUIDES