Reciprocal Quantum Electrodynamics with Bound States in the Continuum

Abstract

Quantum electrodynamics (QED) accurately describes all known forms of modern optics and photonics regarding interactions between photons and matter. While matter ranges widely from atoms, particles, to solids, photons are predominantly in a confined physical space, such as a pair of mirrors, for enhanced photon-matter interactions known as cavity QED. Since position and momentum are canonically conjugate variables governed by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, a fundamental question arises - what if light confinement is in the not-so-intuitive momentum or reciprocal space? The realization of photonic bound states in the continuum (BICs) has made this exotic scenario possible. Here, we summarize the most recent advancements at this research frontier in optics and photonics, covering weak coupling, strong coupling, and nonlinear optics. We can designate such photon-matter interactions enabled by reciprocal light confinement through BICs with truly open systems as reciprocal QED, which holds great promise to comprehend and extend cavity QED for optics, photonics, and related fields.

21 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (19)

• Topological Photonics
• Resonantly Trapped Bound State in the Continuum Laser
• Topological nature of bound states in the radiation continuum
• Ultrastrong coupling regimes of light-matter interaction
• Individual nanoantennas empowered by bound states in the continuum for nonlinear photonics
• High-Q supercavity modes in subwavelength dielectric resonators
• Nonlinear topological photonics
• Giant nonlinear response at the nanoscale driven by bound states in the continuum
• Cavity QED with Quantum Gases: New Paradigms in Many-Body Physics
• Resonant Semiconductor Metasurfaces for Generating Complex Quantum States
• Observation of optical vortices in momentum space
• Selection Rules for Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum
• Doubly-resonant ${\chi }^{(2)}$ nonlinear photonic crystal cavity based on a bound state in the continuum
• Doubly resonant second-harmonic generation of a vortex beam from a bound state in the continuum
• Bound states in the continuum through environmental design
• Efficient Second Harmonic Generation from Silicon Slotted Nanocubes with Bound States in the Continuum
• Realization of room temperature polaritonic vortex in momentum space with hybrid Perovskite metasurface
• Floquet vortex states induced by light carrying the orbital angular momentum
• Imaging with an ultra-thin reciprocal lens