Project Description

Dipole-dipole interactions (Vdd) between closely spaced atoms and molecules are related to real photon and virtual photon exchange between them and decrease in the near field connected with the characteristic Coulombic dipole field law. The control and modification of this marked scaling with distance have become a long-standing theme in quantum engineering since dipole-dipole interactions govern Van der Waals forces, collective Lamb shifts, atom blockade effects, and Förster resonance energy transfer. This project will explore fundamental modifications of these interactions even in the regime of large physical separation between interacting quantum emitters. Both theoretical and experimental candidates can apply. Building on the recent demonstration of giant increase in the near-field resonant dipole-dipole interactions at intermediate field distances (10 times the near field), the candidate will use existing state-of-the-art facilities to study dipole dipole interactions in 2D materials, engineered materials and metamaterials. In marked distinction to existing approaches of engineering radiative interactions, the candidate will pave the way for controlling long-range dipole-dipole interactions using 2D materials and metamaterials.

Start Date

Jan-Aug 2020

Postdoc Qualifications  

Experimental nanophotonics 

Theoretical/Computational nanophotonics 

Quantum optics 

Magnetometry 

Quantum engineering with NV centers 

Single photon physics

Co-advisors 

Prof. Zubin Jacob and Prof. Vaneet Aggarwal 

References 

Observation of long-range dipole-dipole interactions in hyperbolic metamaterials
WD Newman, CL Cortes, A Afshar, K Cadien, A Meldrum, R Fedosejevs, ...
Science advances 4 (10), eaar5278 2018

Super-Coulombic atom–atom interactions in hyperbolic media
CL Cortes, Z Jacob
Nature communications 8, 14144 2017