Cavity QED is the study of quantum effects in cavities, waveguides or resonators, which enhance the interaction between light and matter.
Cavity quantum electrodynamics (cavity QED or CQED) is the study of the quantum nature of light-matter interaction in resonant cavities and waveguides. The cavity enhances said interaction by modifying the mode environment inside the cavity.
Effects
Quantum effects in CQED include (but are not limited to)
- Purcell effect: Modification of an atom's/molecule's/particle's lifetime and spontaneous emission spectrum compared to free space.
- Casimir effect: The appearance of physical forces from the mode modification of the electromagnetic vacuum.
- Vacuum Rabi splitting: The splitting of a resonant peak in the cavity spectrum due to interaction with a two-level system contained in the cavity (see Jaynes-Cummings-model).
- Vacuum Rabi oscillations
- Collective effects and superradiance: The modification of radiative and quantum properties by interaction of an ensemble of atoms/molecules/particles via the cavity field.
Models and Methods
Rabi model
Master equations and quantum statistical approaches: Cavities are open quantum system, hence their time evolution can be governed by decay. These are usually treated via the Gardiner-Collett Hamiltonian and input-output relations.
Experimental platforms
Experimental platforms include (but are not limited to)
Microcavities
Whispering gallery mode resonators
Optical cavities, such as Fabry-Pérot resonators
