Quantum quasinormal mode theory for dissipative nano-optics and magnetodielectric cavity quantum electrodynamics

The unprecedented pace of evolution in nanoscale architectures for cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) has posed crucial challenges for theory, where the quantum dynamics arising from the non-perturbative dressing of matter by cavity electric and magnetic fields as well as the fundamentally non-Hermitian character of the system are to be treated without significant approximation. The lossy electromagnetic resonances of photonic, plasmonic, or magnonic nanostructures are described as quasinormal modes (QNMs), whose properties and interactions with quantum emitters and spin qubits are central to the understanding of dissipative nano-optics and magnetodielectric cQED. Despite recent advancements toward a fully quantum framework for QNMs, a general and universally accepted approach to QNM quantization for arbitrary linear media remains elusive. In this work, we introduce a unified theoretical framework, based on macroscopic QED and complex coordinate transformations, which achieves QNM quantization for a wide class of spatially inhomogeneous, dissipative and dispersive, linear, magnetodielectric resonators. The complex coordinate transformations equivalently convert the radiative losses into non-radiative material dissipation, and via a suitable transformation that reflects all the losses of the resonator, we define creation and annihilation operators that allow the construction of modal Fock states for the joint excitations of field-dressed matter. By directly addressing the intricacies of modal loss in a fully quantum theory of magnetodielectric cQED, our approach enables the exploration of modern, quantum nano-optical experiments utilizing dielectric, plasmonic, magnetic, or hybrid cQED architectures and paves the way toward a rigorous assessment of room-temperature, quantum nanophotonic technologies without recourse to ad hoc quantization schemes.

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Publication Details

Journal
APL Quantum
Published
2026-01-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0292776
Primary Topic
Mechanical and Optical Resonators
Type
article
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article

Quantum quasinormal mode theory for dissipative nano-optics and magnetodielectric cavity quantum electrodynamics

Ortwin Hess, Daniel D. A. Clarke, Lars Meschede
APL Quantum
Mechanical and Optical Resonators
article

Quantum quasinormal mode theory for dissipative nano-optics and magnetodielectric cavity quantum electrodynamics

Ortwin Hess, Daniel D. A. Clarke, Lars Meschede
article en

Abstract

The unprecedented pace of evolution in nanoscale architectures for cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) has posed crucial challenges for theory, where the quantum dynamics arising from the non-perturbative dressing of matter by cavity electric and magnetic fields as well as the fundamentally non-Hermitian character of the system are to be treated without significant approximation. The lossy electromagnetic resonances of photonic, plasmonic, or magnonic nanostructures are described as quasinormal modes (QNMs), whose properties and interactions with quantum emitters and spin qubits are central to the understanding of dissipative nano-optics and magnetodielectric cQED. Despite recent advancements toward a fully quantum framework for QNMs, a general and universally accepted approach to QNM quantization for arbitrary linear media remains elusive. In this work, we introduce a unified theoretical framework, based on macroscopic QED and complex coordinate transformations, which achieves QNM quantization for a wide class of spatially inhomogeneous, dissipative and dispersive, linear, magnetodielectric resonators. The complex coordinate transformations equivalently convert the radiative losses into non-radiative material dissipation, and via a suitable transformation that reflects all the losses of the resonator, we define creation and annihilation operators that allow the construction of modal Fock states for the joint excitations of field-dressed matter. By directly addressing the intricacies of modal loss in a fully quantum theory of magnetodielectric cQED, our approach enables the exploration of modern, quantum nano-optical experiments utilizing dielectric, plasmonic, magnetic, or hybrid cQED architectures and paves the way toward a rigorous assessment of room-temperature, quantum nanophotonic technologies without recourse to ad hoc quantization schemes.

APL QuantumVol. 3(1)
Trinity College Dublin (IE)
Sustainable cities and communities
Openalex Percentile: Top 96%
Mechanical and Optical Resonators
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Quantum quasinormal mode theory for dissipative nano-optics and magnetodielectric cavity quantum electrodynamics — Ortwin Hess, Daniel D. A. Clarke, et al. · APL Quantum (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS