George W. Hanson

Bio: George W. Hanson is an academic researcher from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The author has contributed to research in topics: Surface plasmon polariton & Plasmon. The author has an hindex of 4, co-authored 17 publications receiving 92 citations.

Transient and steady-state entanglement mediated by three-dimensional plasmonic waveguides.

Abstract: Entanglement between two qubits (two level atoms) mediated by surface plasmons in three-dimensional plasmonic waveguides is studied using a quantum master equation formalism. Two types of waveguides, a nanowire and a V-shaped channel cut in a flat metal plane, are considered. The Green functions for the waveguides, which rigorously describes the dissipative qubit environment, are calculated numerically using a direct finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solution of Maxwell's equations. Finite-length effects are shown to play a crucial role in enhancing entanglement, and resonant-length plasmonic waveguides can provide higher entanglement between qubits than infinite-length waveguides. It is also shown that coupling slots can improve entanglement via stronger qubit-waveguide coupling, for both the infinite- and finite-waveguide cases. The formalism used in the paper can be applied to a wide range of plasmonic waveguides.

Non-Reciprocal, Robust Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Gyrotropic Interfaces

Abstract: Unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at the interface between a gyrotropic medium and a simple medium are studied in a newly recognized frequency regime wherein the SPPs form narrow, beam-like patterns due to quasi-hyperbolic dispersion. The SPP beams are steerable by controlling parameters such as the cyclotron frequency (external magnetic bias) or the frequency of operation. The bulk band structure along different propagation directions is examined to ascertain a common bulk bandgap, valid for all propagation directions, which the SPPs cross. In addition, group velocity and Poynting vector for the SPPs are presented. The case of a finite-thickness gyrotropic slab is also considered, for which we present the Green function and examine the thickness and loss level required to maintain a unidirectional SPP.

Giant Interatomic Energy-Transport Amplification with Nonreciprocal Photonic Topological Insulators.

Abstract: We show that the energy-transport efficiency in a chain of two-level emitters can be drastically enhanced by the presence of a photonic topological insulator (PTI). This is obtained by exploiting the peculiar properties of its nonreciprocal surface plasmon polariton (SPP), which is unidirectional, and immune to backscattering, and propagates in the bulk band gap. This amplification of transport efficiency can be as much as 2 orders of magnitude with respect to reciprocal SPPs. Moreover, we demonstrate that despite the presence of considerable imperfections at the interface of the PTI, the efficiency of the SPP-assisted energy transport is almost unaffected by discontinuities. We also show that the SPP properties allow energy transport over considerably much larger distances than in the reciprocal case, and we point out a particularly simple way to tune the transport. Finally, we analyze the specific case of a two-emitter chain and unveil the origin of the efficiency amplification. The efficiency amplification and the practical advantages highlighted in this work might be particularly useful in the development of new devices intended to manage energy at the atomic scale.

Tunable unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons at the interface between gyrotropic and isotropic conductors

Abstract: Unidirectionally propagated electromagnetic waves are rare in nature but heavily sought after due to their potential applications in backscatter-free optical information processing setups. It was theoretically shown that the distinct bulk optical band topologies of a gyrotropic metal and an isotropic metal can enable topologically protected unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at their interface. Here, we experimentally identify such interfacial modes at terahertz frequencies. Launching the interfacial SPPs via a tailored grating coupler, the far-field spectroscopy data obtained reveals strongly nonreciprocal SPP dispersions that are highly consistent with the theoretical predictions. The directionality of the interfacial SPPs studied here is flexibly tunable by either varying the external field or adjusting the metallic characteristics of the bulk materials. The experimental realization of actively tunable unidirectional SPPs sets the foundation for developing nanophotonic information processing devices based on topologically protected interfacial waves.

Transient and steady-state entanglement mediated by three-dimensional plasmonic waveguides

Abstract: Entanglement between two qubits (two level atoms) mediated by surface plasmons in three-dimensional plasmonic waveguides is studied using a quantum master equation formalism. Two types of waveguides, a nanowire and a V-shaped channel cut in a flat metal plane, are considered. The Green functions for the waveguides, which rigorously describes the dissipative qubit environment, are calculated numerically using a direct finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solution of Maxwell's equations. Finite-length effects are shown to play a crucial role in enhancing entanglement, and resonant-length plasmonic waveguides can provide higher entanglement between qubits than infinite-length waveguides. It is also shown that coupling slots can improve entanglement via stronger qubit-waveguide coupling, for both the infinite- and finite-waveguide cases.

Two-photon entanglement in multiqubit bidirectional-waveguide QED

Abstract: We study entanglement generation and control in bidirectional-waveguide QED driven by a two-photon Gaussian wave packet. In particular, we focus on how increasing the number of qubits affects the overall average pairwise entanglement in the system. We also investigate how the presence of a second photon can introduce nonlinearities, thereby manipulating the generated entanglement. In addition, we show that, through the introduction of chirality and small decay rates, entanglement can be stored and enhanced up to factors of 2 and 3, respectively. Finally, we analyze the influence of finite detunings and time-delays on the generated entanglement.

Strain-Tunable Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy in Epitaxial Y3Fe5O12 Thin Films

Abstract: We demonstrate strain tuning of magnetocrystalline anisotropy over a range of more than 1000 G in epitaxial ${Y}_{3}{\\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ films of excellent crystalline quality grown on lattice-mismatched Y${}_{3}$Al${}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ substrates. Ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements reveal a linear dependence of both out-of-plane and in-plane uniaxial anisotropy on the strain-induced tetragonal distortion of ${Y}_{3}{\\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$. Importantly, we find the spin mixing conductance ${G}_{r}$ determined from inverse spin Hall effect and FMR linewidth broadening remains large: ${G}_{r}$ = 3.33 \\ifmmode\\times\\else\\texttimes\\fi{} 10${}^{14}$ \\ensuremath{\\Omega}${}^{\\ensuremath{-}1}$ m${}^{\\ensuremath{-}2}$ in Pt/${Y}_{3}{\\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$/Y${}_{3}$Al${}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ heterostructures, quite comparable to the value found in Pt/${Y}_{3}{\\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ grown on lattice-matched Gd${}_{3}$Ga${}_{5}{\\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ substrates.

Subradiance-protected excitation transport

Abstract: We investigate collective behaviour that appears in open, many-body systems of two- and four-level atoms. Here, ``open" refers to the system interacting with an external environment that causes dissipation. We derive a general open quantum master equation to describe the system dynamics only, independent of this environment. We identify processes such as coherent exchange of virtual photons and modified decay rates caused by long-range interactions between all pairs of atoms that scale with distance by inverse power laws. We explore excitation transport within a one-dimensional chain of atoms where the atomic transition dipoles are coupled to the free radiation field. When the interatomic spacing is smaller than or comparable to the wavelength of light associated with the photon emitted from a given transition, virtual photon exchange interactions facilitate excitation transport through the chain. Atomic systems coupled to an environment display dissipative dynamics, however subradiant transport is exhibited from a variety of initial states; spontaneous emission from the chain occurs at a rate much slower than that for an individual atom. In particular, we find a region within the decay spectrum that consists entirely of subradiant states with a corresponding linear dispersion relation in the interaction energy. Identifying this subspace allows for the dispersionless transport of wave packets over long distances with near-zero decay. Moreover, the group velocity of the wave packet and direction of the transport can be controlled via an external uniform magnetic field while preserving its subradiant character. We discuss a number of experimental considerations to justify the feasibility and robustness of this protocol. Initial state preparation is outlined, utilising external laser driving to excite the system into the single excitation sector. Furthermore, we consider positional disorder by explicitly accounting for the external atomic degrees of freedom -- position and momentum -- which allows us to model the positions of all atoms by a motional state representing the occupation of a lattice well with a given width. These discussions are made in the low-temperature limit, where the atomic motion is essentially frozen, and we identify that subradiant transport is indeed robust. Finally, we explore the experimental limits of interatomic spacing and imperfect filling within an experimentally achievable optical lattice. We calculate the photon emission rate -- an experimentally measurable quantity -- and compare the emission spectra to our analysis. By limiting parameters to those achieved experimentally, we observe a reduction, yet not an absence, of collective behaviour. The simplicity and versatility of this system, together with the robustness of subradiance against disorder, makes it relevant for a range of applications such as lossless energy transport and long-time light storage. The lifetime of an atomic excitation could be increased by a factor of thousands to millions for a chain of atoms under the conditions that we explore in this thesis.

The effects of three-dimensional defects on one-way surface plasmon propagation for photonic topological insulators comprised of continuum media

Abstract: We have investigated one-way surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) at the interface of a continuum magnetoplasma material and metal, in the presence of three-dimensional surface defects. Bulk electromagnetic modes of continuum materials have Chern numbers, analogous to those of photonic crystals. This can lead to the appearance of topologically-protected surface modes at material interfaces, propagating at frequencies inside the bandgap of the bulk materials. Previous studies considered two-dimensional structures; here we consider the effect of three-dimensional defects and show that, although backward propagation/reflection cannot occur, side scattering does take place and has significant effect on the propagation of the surface mode. Several different waveguiding geometries are considered for reducing the effects of side-scattering and we also consider the effects of metal loss.