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[PAST EVENT] Physics Colloquium - Thomas A. Searles
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Thomas A. Searles, University of Illinois Chicago, Title of talk: "Dicke Cooperativity-Assisted Ultrastrong Coupling in Terahertz Metasurfaces”
Abstract: A system of N two-level atoms cooperatively interacting with a photonic field can be described as a single giant atom coupled to the field with interaction strength. This enhancement, known as Dicke cooperativity in quantum optics, has recently become an indispensable element in quantum information technology. Here, we extend the coupling beyond the standard light-matter interaction paradigm, enhancing Dicke cooperativity--in a terahertz metasurface with N meta-atoms. The cooperative enhancement manifested through the hybridization of localized surface plasmon resonance in individual meta-atoms and surface lattice resonance due to the periodic array. Furthermore, through engineering of the capacitive split-gap in the meta-atoms, we were able to enhance the coupling rate into the ultrastrong coupling regime by a factor of. Our strategy can serve as a new platform for demonstrating effective control of fermionic systems by weak pumping, super-radiant emission and ultrasensitive sensing of molecules.