Graduate Program Events |
Events on Monday, May 1st, 2023
- PhD Final Defense
- Nanoscale Enhancement of Dipole Emission: Modeling Multi-Photon Effects and Microwave Emission from Small Josephson Junctions
- Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Place: 4274 Chamberlin
- Speaker: Colin Whisler, Physics Graduate Student
- Abstract: The classical electric dipole acts as a source of electromagnetic radiation, and the power emitted can be modified significantly by optimizing the emitter's environment. This topic has numerous applications, as the electric dipole serves as an excellent representation for processes such as fluorescence from an atomic emitter in an excited state or radiation from a Josephson junction in the AC Josephson effect. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations can provide powerful tools for analyzing these phenomena in arbitrary geometries. This dissertation first calculates the enhancement of two-photon spontaneous emission (2PSE) from trivalent and divalent rare earth ions in proximity to graphene and graphene nanoribbons for achievable experimental conditions using a combination of FDTD simulations and direct computation of transition rates between energy levels in rare earths. The second portion of the dissertation considers the enhancement of dipole emission in a nanoscale gap between an atomically sharp conducting tip and a metallic surface. This serves as a model for Josephson junction spectroscopy, in which the tunneling of Cooper pairs releases local microwaves at bias-dependent frequencies that can be absorbed by nearby molecules, causing DC current to flow. Our results suggest intriguing possibilities for new applications in quantum technology while also discussing the challenges that still must be overcome.
- Host: Victor Brar