Control of a quantum emitter's bandwidth by managing its reactive power

Abstract

Reactive power plays a crucial role in the design of small antenna systems, but its impact on the bandwidth of quantum emitters is typically disregarded. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that there is an intermediate domain between the usual weak- and strong-coupling regimes where the bandwidth of a quantum emitter is directly related to the dispersion properties of the reactive power. This result emphasizes that reactive power must be understood as an additional degree of freedom in engineering the bandwidth of quantum emitters. We illustrate the applicability of this concept by revisiting typical configurations of quantum emitters coupled to resonant cavities and waveguides. Analysis of the reactive power in these systems unveils functionalities including the design of efficient but narrow-band photon sources, as well as quantum emitters exhibiting bandwidths narrower than their nonradiative linewidths even under incoherent pumping.