Tuning Casimir-Polder Interactions in an Atom/Metamaterial Hybrid System

David Wilkowski Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore MajuLab, CNRS-UNS-NUS-NTU International Joint Research Unit UMI 3654, Singapore, Singapore Syed Abdullah Aljunid Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Chan Eng Aik Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Giorgio Adamo Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Martial Ducloy Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers, Université Paris 13, CNRS (UMR 7538), Villetaneuse, France Nikolay Zheludev Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore Optoelectronics Reserch Centre and Centre for Photonic Metamaterials, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

Placing a Caesium vapour at the vicinity of 2D metamaterial, we observe strong modifications of the atomic EM-field excitation spectrum. In particular, the carefully analysis of this spectrum reveals a weak frequency shift of the resonance D2 line of Caesium which is due to the Casimir-Polder (or Van der Waals) interaction of the atom with the surface of the metamaterial. This interaction can be tuned, adjusting the plasmonic resonance position of the metamaterial with respect to bare atomic transition of interest.

Figure: Atomic excitation spectrum with and without metamaterial.

david.wilkowski@ntu.edu.sg