Abstract
The storage of light is of crucial importance for applications involving optical data processing and certain quantum-optical devices, where it can be used to control the rate of spontaneous emission of light sources. Nowadays, light can be confined using optical microresonators or stopped-light techniques. Two important figures of merit determine the quality of these devices: the quality factor Q and the mode volume V, respectively quantifying the temporal and spatial confinement of light. Most applications require small mode volumes in combination with high quality factors. However, due to the wavelike nature of light, it is generally admitted that it is impossible to store light in a volume with subwavelength dimensions in combination with a high quality factor. In this contribution, we overcome this fundamental limitation by designing an optical cavity based on a transformation-optical approach [Ginis et al., arXiv: 0911.4216v1].
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering |
| Volume | 7711 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Apr 2010 |
| Event | Finds and Results from the Swedish Cyprus Expedition: A Gender Perspective at the Medelhavsmuseet - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 21 Sept 2009 → 25 Sept 2009 |
Keywords
- optics
- photonics
- physics
- transformation optics
- metamaterials
- left-handed materials
- miniatiurization
- confinement