Ultrafast Quantum Phenomena in the Near Field

Progress in understanding light-matter interactions at the nanoscale and developments in experimental methods to address quantum systems, together with the possibility to fabricate well-defined nanostructures that can largely tailor coupling strengths, have generated a cross-fertilization in areas somewhat disconnected just a decade ago. For example, quantum-optical concepts such as cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) begin to merge with near-field optics and advanced coherent spectroscopies. This has just started and the seminar aims at identifying and facilitating such connections among these different research fields.

In nano optics strong local-field enhancements lead to efficient couplings with quantum emitters although the quality factors of the associated field modes are usually rather low. Hence strong dissipation and efficient decoherence mechanisms persist and the quantum realm of dynamics and interactions are intrinsically on ultrashort time scales. Attributed to this close connection between nanoscale quantum dynamics and ultrashort time scales the seminar will cover the two topics efficient nanoscale energy and charge transfer mechanisms and quantum coherence and correlations. The latter topic comprises among others few-photon optical nonlinearities, tailoring decoherence, and nano-optical coherent control schemes. Whereas these issues are relevant on the single- or few-photon levels, the third topic, electron – near-field interactions, deals with strong-field phenomena. For example, the quantized energy exchange between near fields and electron pulses would pave the path to fundamentally new experiments and attosecond electron pulses.

Joining near-field optics with quantum optics and ultrafast spectroscopy opens new perspectives that shall be discussed and explored in this upcoming Heraeus Seminar on Ultrafast Quantum Phenomena in the Near Fields.

The conference language will be English. The Wilhelm and Else Heraeus-Foundation bears the cost of full-board accommodation for all participants.