Role of Symmetry Breaking in Observing Strong Molecule-Cavity Coupling Using Dielectric Microspheres.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35920815.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c02274 and PMC identifier 9413215.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The emergence of dielectric open optical cavities has opened a new research avenue in nanophotonics. In particular, dielectric microspheres support a rich set of cavity modes with varying spectral characteristics, making them an ideal platform to study molecule-cavity interactions. The symmetry of the structure plays a critical role in the outcoupling of these modes and, hence, the perceived molecule-cavity coupling strength. Here, we experimentally and theoretically study molecule-cavity coupling mediated by the Mie scattering modes of a dielectric microsphere placed on a glass substrate and excited with far-field illumination, from which we collect scattering signatures both in the air and glass sides. Glass-side collection reveals clear signatures of strong molecule-cavity coupling (coupling strength 2<i>g</i> = 74 meV), in contrast to the air-side scattering signal. Rigorous electromagnetic modeling allows us to understand molecule-cavity coupling and unravel the role played by the spatial mode profile in the observed coupling strength.