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In this paper, we model the interaction of a quantum emitter with a finite-size dispersive dielectric object in an unbounded space within the framework of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics, using the modified Langevin noise formalism. The quantized electromagnetic field consists of two contributions: the medium-assisted field, which accounts for the electromagnetic field generated by the noise polarization currents of the dielectric, and the scattering-assisted field, which takes into account the electromagnetic field incoming from infinity and scattered by the dielectric. We show that the emitter couples to two distinct bosonic baths: a medium-assisted bath and a scattering-assisted bath, each characterized by its own spectral density. We identify the conditions under which the electromagnetic environment composed of these two baths can be effectively replaced by a single bosonic bath, ensuring that the reduced dynamics of the quantum emitter remain unchanged. In particular, when the initial states of the medium- and scattering-assisted baths are thermal states with the same temperature, we find that a single bosonic bath with a spectral density equal to the sum of the medium-assisted and scattering-assisted spectral densities is equivalent to the original electromagnetic environment.

Metasurfaces, consisting of large arrays of interacting subwavelength scatterers, pose significant challenges for general-purpose computational methods due to their large electric dimensions and multiscale nature. This paper introduces an efficient boundary element method specifically tailored for metasurfaces, leveraging the Poggio-Miller-Chang-Harrington-Wu-Tsai (PMCHWT) formulation. Our method combines the Multilevel Fast Multipole Algorithm (MLFMA) with a representation of the unknown equivalent surface current density by means of static modes, a set of entire domain basis functions dependent only on object shape but independent of the material and frequency. The compression of the number of unknowns enabled by the Static Mode Representation (SMR), combined with the \(\mathcal{O}(N \log N)\) complexity of MLFMA matrix-vector products, significantly reduces CPU time and memory requirements compared to classical MLFMA with RWG basis functions. We demonstrate the accuracy, time, and memory requirements of this method through several test cases including the full-wave simulation of a $100 \lambda \times 100 \lambda$ canonical metalens. The MLFMA-SMR method offers substantial benefits for the analysis and optimization of metasurfaces and metalenses.

The quantization of systems composed of transmission lines connected to lumped circuits poses significant challenges, arising from the interplay between continuous and discrete degrees of freedom. A widely adopted strategy, based on the pioneering work of Yurke and Denker, entails representing the lumped circuit contributions using Lagrangian densities that incorporate Dirac $\delta$-functions. However, this approach introduces complications, as highlighted in the recent literature, including divergent momentum densities, necessitating the use of regularization techniques. In this work, we introduce a $\delta$-free Lagrangian formulation for a transmission line coupled to a lumped circuit without the need for a discretization of the transmission line or mode expansions. This is achieved by explicitly enforcing boundary conditions at the line ends in the principle of least action. In this framework, the quantization and the derivation of the Heisenberg equations of the network are straightforward. We apply our approach to an analytically solvable network consisting of a semi-infinite transmission line capacitively coupled to a LC circuit.

Resonant modes determine the response of electromagnetic devices, including dielectric and plasmonic resonators. Relying on the degrees of freedom that metamaterials provide, this contribution shows how to design, at will, the resonant modes of a dielectric object placed in an unbounded space. Specifically, the proposed method returns in analytical form the spatial distribution of the dielectric susceptibility tensor for which the object exhibits resonances at prescribed frequencies and spatial distribution of the polarization. Together with the synthesis of the material, two key concepts are introduced: the controlled tunability of the resonant modes and the number of essential modes, i.e. the number of modes that uniquely characterize the spatial distribution of the dielectric susceptibility. Moreover, this approach can be applied to design the resonant modes of any system where the constitutive relationship is linear and local.

We propose an integral formulation of macroscopic quantum electrodynamics in the Heisenberg picture for linear dispersive dielectric objects of finite size, utilizing the Hopfield-type approach. By expressing the electromagnetic field operators as a function of the polarization density field operator via the retarded Green function for the vacuum, we obtain an integral equation that governs the evolution of the polarization density field operator. This formulation offers significant advantages, as it allows for the direct application of well-established computational techniques from classical electrodynamics to perform quantum electrodynamics computations in open, dispersive, and absorbing environments.

We introduce the longitudinal and transverse static surface modes and use them to solve the full-wave electromagnetic scattering problem from penetrable objects. The longitudinal static modes are the eigenmodes with zero surface curl of the electrostatic integral operator that gives the tangential component of the electric field, as a function of the surface charge density. The transverse static modes are the eigenmodes with zero surface divergence of the magnetostatic integral operator that returns the tangential component of the vector potential, as a function of the surface current distribution. The static modes only depend on the shape of the object, thus, the same static basis can be used regardless of the frequency of operation and of the material constituting the object. We expand the unknown surface currents of the Poggio-Miller-Chang-Harrington-Wu-Tsai surface integral equations in terms of the static surface modes and solve them using the Galerkin-projection scheme. The static modes expansion allows the regularization of the singular integral operators and yields a drastic reduction of the number of unknowns compared to a discretization based on sub-domain basis functions. The introduced expansion significantly reduces the cpu-time required for the numerical solution of the scattering problem from particle arrays.

In this paper we deal with the macroscopic electromagnetic response of a finite size dispersive dielectric object, in unbounded space, in the framework of quantum electrodynamics using the Heisenberg picture. We apply a Hopfield type scheme to account for the dispersion and dissipation of the matter. We provide a general expression of the polarization density field operator as functions of the initial conditions of the matter field operators and of the electromagnetic field operators. It is a linear functional whose kernel is a linear expression of the impulse response of the dielectric object that we obtain within the framework of classical electrodynamics. The electric field operator is expressed as a function of the polarization density field operator by means of the dyadic Green's function for the free space. The statistical functions of these operators are classical functionals of the statistics of the initial conditions of the matter field operators and of the electromagnetic field operators, whose kernels are linear or multilinear expressions of the impulse response of the dielectric object. We keep the polarization and the electromagnetic field distinct to enable the treatment of the polarization and electromagnetic fluctuations on equal footing. We expand the polarization density field operator in terms of the static longitudinal and transverse modes of the object to diagonalize the Coulomb and Ampere interaction energy terms of the Hamiltonian in the Coulomb gauge. We expand the radiation fields in terms of the transverse plane wave modes of free space. Few static longitudinal and transverse modes are needed to calculate each element of the impulse response matrix for dielectric objects with sizes of the order up to $\min\limits_{\omega}\{c_0/[\omega \sqrt{|{\chi}(\omega)|}]\}$ where ${\chi}(\omega)$ is the susceptibility of the dielectric.

The problem of finding the optimal current distribution supported by small radiators yielding the minimum quality (Q) factor is a fundamental problem in electromagnetism. Q factor bounds constrain the maximum operational bandwidth of devices including antennas, metamaterials, and nanoresonators, and have been featured in seminal papers in the past decades. Here, we determine the lower bounds of Q factors of small-size plasmonic and high-permittivity dielectric resonators, which are characterized by quasi-electrostatic and quasi-magnetostatic natural modes, respectively. We expand the induced current density field in the resonator in terms of these modes, leading to closed-form analytical expressions for the electric and magnetic polarizability tensors, whose largest eigenvalue is directly linked to the minimum Q factor. Our results allow also to determine in closed form the corresponding optimal current density field. In particular, when the resonator exhibits two orthogonal reflection symmetries the minimum Q factor can be simply obtained from the Q factors of the single current modes with non-vanishing dipole moments aligned along the major axis of the resonator. Overall, our results open exciting opportunities in the context of nano-optics and metamaterials, facilitating the analysis and design of optimally shaped resonators for enhanced and tailored light-matter interactions.

A fresh approach to the full wave analysis of time evolution of the polarization induced in the electromagnetic scattering from dispersive non magnetic particles is presented. It is grounded on the combination of the Hopfield model for the polarization field, the expansion of the polarization field in terms of static longitudinal and transverse modes of the particle, the expansion of the radiation field in terms of transverse wave modes of free space, and the principle of least action. The polarization field is linearly coupled to the electromagnetic field. The losses of the matter are provided through a linear coupling of the polarization field to a bath of harmonic oscillators with a continuous range of natural frequencies. The set of linear ordinary differential integral equations of convolution type of the overall system is reduced by eliminating both the radiation degrees of freedoms and the bath degrees of freedom, and the reduced system of equations is studied. The role played by the radiation field in the coupling between the longitudinal and transverse mode amplitudes of the polarization is described. The principal characteristics of the temporal evolution of the mode amplitudes are found as the particle size varies, including the impulse response. Results are presented for the analytically solvable spherical particle. The proposed approach leads to a general method for the analysis of the temporal evolution of the polarization field induced in dispersive particles of any shape, as well as for the computation of transients and steady states.

The electromagnetic scattering from interconnections of high-permittivity dielectric thin wires with sizes smaller than (or almost equal to) the operating wavelength is investigated. A simple lumped element model for the polarization current intensities induced in the wires is proposed. The circuit elements are capacitances and inductances between the wires. An analytical expression for the induced polarization currents in terms of the magneto-quasistatic current modes is obtained. The connection between the spectral properties of the loop inductance matrix and the network's resonances is established. The number of the allowed current modes and resonances is deduced from the topology of the circuit's digraph. The coupling to radiation is also included, and the radiative frequency shifts and the quality factors are derived. The introduced concept and methods may find applications both at the microwaves and in nanophotonics.

Concentrating light within subwavelength spatial regions is a central topic in nanophotonics. In this letter, we introduce a general principle for the subwavelength localization and enhancement of electric fields in high-index resonators, based on the flux conservation of the displacement current density. We apply this design rule to a ring resonator by locally squeezing its section: since the flux is conserved, the electric field is necessarily enhanced to compensate the reduction of the section area. The introduced principle may constitute an important step toward the control of the displacement current density at the nanoscale, guiding the design of the topology and the geometry of complex dielectric structures., Comment: comments/feedback welcome!

The electromagnetic scattering resonances of a non-magnetic object much smaller than the incident wavelength in vacuum can be either described by the electroquasistatic approximation of the Maxwell's equations if its permittivity is negative, or by the magnetoquasistatic approximation if its permittivity is positive and sufficiently high. Nevertheless, these two approximations fail to correctly account for the frequency shift and the radiative broadening of the resonances when the size of the object becomes comparable to the wavelength of operation. In this manuscript, the radiation corrections to the electroquasistatic and magnetoquasistatic resonances of arbitrarily-shaped objects are derived, which only depend on the quasistatic current modes. Then, closed form expressions of the frequency-shift and the radiative Q-factor of both plasmonic and dielectric modes of small objects are introduced, where the dependencies on the material and the size of the object are factorized. In particular, it is shown that the radiative Q-factor explicitly depends on the multipolar components of the quasistatic modes.

In this paper we study, in the time domain, the interaction between localized surface plasmons and photons in arbitrarily shaped metal nanoparticles, by using the Hopfield approach to quantize the plasmon modes, where the electron oscillations are represented by a harmonic matter field linearly coupled to the electromagnetic radiation. The plasmon - photon coupling gives rise to dressed plasmon modes. We have found that the radiation does not induce a significant coupling among the different quasi-electrostatic plasmon modes for particles of size up to the plasma wavelength, but causes a frequency shift and an exponential decay in time of the modes. By solving the equations governing the expectation values of the plasmon creation and annihilation operators, we obtain a new closed-form full-wave expression for the decay rate and for the frequency shift of the plasmon modes. It is non-perturbative and it only depends on the surface charge distribution of the quasi-electrostatic plasmon modes. We validate the expression against the Mie theory for a nano-sphere of radius comparable to the plasma wavelength. Eventually, we investigate the decay rate and the frequency shift of the plasmon modes in isolated and interacting nanoparticle of non-canonical shape, as their size increases up to the plasma wavelength.

A small dielectric object with positive permittivity may resonate when the free-space wavelength is large in comparison with the object dimensions if the permittivity is sufficiently high. We show that these resonances are described by the magnetoquasistatic approximation of the Maxwell's equations in which the normal component of the displacement current density field vanishes on the surface of the particle. They are associated to values of permittivities and frequencies for which source-free quasistatic magnetic fields exist, which are connected to the eigenvalues of a magnetostatic integral operator. We present the general physical properties of magnetoquasistatic resonances in dielectrics with arbitrary shape. They arise from the interplay between the polarization energy stored in the dielectric and the energy stored in the magnetic field. Our findings improve the understanding of resonances in high-permittivity dielectric objects and provide a powerful tool that greatly simplifies the analysis and design of high index resonators.

The plasmon hybridization theory is based on a quasi-electrostatic approximation of the Maxwell's equations. It does not take into account magnetic interactions, retardation effects, and radiation losses. Magnetic interactions play a dominant role in the scattering from dielectric nanoparticles. The retardation effects play a fundamental role in the coupling of the modes with the incident radiation and in determining their radiative strength; their exclusion may lead to erroneous predictions of the excited modes and of the scattered power spectra. Radiation losses may lead to a significant broadening of the scattering resonances. We propose a hybridization theory for non-hermitian composite systems based on the full-Maxwell equations that, overcoming all the limitations of the plasmon hybridization theory, unlocks the description of dielectric dimers. As an example, we decompose the scattered field from silicon and silver dimers, under different excitation conditions and gap-sizes, in terms of dimer modes, pinpointing the hybridizing isolated-sphere modes behind them., Comment: Supplemental material available upon request

The electromagnetic modes and the resonances of homogeneous, finite size, two-dimensional bodies are examined in the frequency domain by a rigorous full wave approach based on an integro-differential formulation of the electromagnetic scattering problem. Using a modal expansion for the current density that disentangles the geometric and material properties of the body the integro-differential equation for the induced surface (free or polarization) current density field is solved. The current modes and the corresponding resonant values of the surface conductivity (eigen-conductivities) are evaluated by solving a linear eigenvalue problem with a non-Hermitian operator. They are inherent properties of the body geometry and do not depend on the body material. The material only determines the coefficients of the modal expansion and hence the frequencies at which their amplitudes are maximum (resonance frequencies). The eigen-conductivities and the current modes are studied in detail as the frequency, the shape and the size of the body vary. Open and closed surfaces are considered. The presence of vortex current modes, in addition to the source-sink current modes (no whirling modes), which characterize plasmonic oscillations, is shown. Important topological features of the current modes, such as the number of sources and sinks, the number of vortexes, the direction of the vortexes are preserved as the size of the body and the frequency vary. Unlike the source-sink current modes, in open surfaces the vortex current modes can be resonantly excited only in materials with positive imaginary part of the surface conductivity. Eventually, as examples, the scattering by two-dimensional bodies with either positive or negative imaginary part of the surface conductivity is analyzed and the contributions of the different modes are examined.

We demonstrate the directional scattering cancellation for a dielectric sphere of radius up to ten times the incident wavelength, by coating it with a surface of finite conductivity. Specifically, the problem of determining the values of the surface conductivity that guarantees destructive interference among hundreds of multipolar scattering orders at the prescribed angular direction is reduced to the determination of the zeros of a polynomial, whose coefficients are analytically known.

We analyse the resonance conditions of a long and narrow ribbon of finite length whether it is conductive or dielectric. This is accomplished by using a full wave approach based on the material independent modes that naturally discriminates the role of the geometry and of the material. This method effectively allows the design of the material in such a way to obtain the desired resonances. Eventually, as an example, we design two quasi-one dimensional resonators based on a graphene layer and on a silicon thin film.

In the frame of volume integral equation methods, we introduce an alternative representation of the electromagnetic field scattered by a homogeneous object of arbitrary shape at a given frequency, in terms of a set of modes independent of its permittivity. This is accomplished by introducing an auxiliary eigenvalue problem, based on a volume integral operator. With this modal basis the expansion coefficients of the scattered field are simple rational functions of the permittivity of the scatterer. We show, by studying the electromagnetic scattering from a sphere and a cylinder of dimensions comparable to the incident wavelength, that only a moderate number of modes is needed to accurately describe the scattered far field. This method can be used to investigate resonant scattering phenomena, including plasmonic and photonic resonances, and to design the permittivity of the object to pursue a prescribed tailoring of the scattered field. Moreover, the presented modal expansion is computationally advantageous compared to direct solution of the volume integral equation when the scattered field has to be computed for many different values of the dielectric permittivity, given the size and shape of the dielectric body.

In this paper, we introduce an alternative representation of the electromagnetic field scattered from a homogeneous sphere coated with a homogeneous layer of uniform thickness. Specifically, we expand the scattered field using a set of modes that are independent of the permittivity of the coating, while the expansion coefficients are simple rational functions of the permittivity. The theory we develop represents both a framework for the analysis of plasmonic and photonic modes and a straightforward methodology to design the permittivity of the coating to pursue a prescribed tailoring of the scattered field. To illustrate the practical implications of this method, we design the permittivity of the coating to zero either the backscattering or a prescribed multipolar order of the scattered field, and to maximize an electric field component in a given point of space.

A spectral technique is applied to evaluate the resonance frequencies of the full retarded scattering from spherical nanoparticles. This approach allows one to unambiguously identify the modes that are responsible of both the peaks and the asymmetric lineshapes of the scattered power spectra. The fundamental differences between the electromagnetic scattering properties of dielectric and metal spheres are discussed. These results are used to investigate the scattering from isolated silicon and silver nanospheres.

We present a theory for the cloaking of arbitrarily-shaped objects and demonstrate electromagnetic scattering-cancellation through designed homogeneous coatings. First, in the small-particle limit, we expand the dipole moment of a coated object in terms of its resonant modes. By zeroing the numerator of the resulting rational function, we accurately predict the permittivity values of the coating layer that abates the total scattered power. Then, we extend the applicability of the method beyond the small-particle limit, deriving the radiation corrections of the scattering-cancellation permittivity within a perturbation approach. Our method permits the design of invisibility cloaks for irregularly-shaped devices such as complex sensors and detectors.

Second harmonic (SH) radiation in metal nanoparticles is generated by both nonlocal-bulk and local-surface SH sources, induced by the electromagnetic field at the fundamental frequency. We propose a surface integral equation (SIE) method for evaluating the SH radiation generated by metal nanoparticles with arbitrary shapes, considering all SH sources. We demonstrate that the contribution of the nonlocal-bulk SH sources to the SH electromagnetic field can be taken into account through equivalent surface electric and magnetic currents. We numerically solve the SIE problem by using the Galerkin method and the Rao-Wilton-Glisson basis functions in the framework of the distribution theory. The accuracy of the proposed method is verified by comparison with the SH-Mie analytical solution. As an example of a complex-shaped particle, we investigate the SH scattering by a triangular nano-prism. This method paves the way for a better understanding of the SH generation process in arbitrarily shaped nanoparticles and can also have a high impact in the design of novel nanoplasmonic devices with enhanced SH emission.

We present a full-wave analytical solution for the problem of second-harmonic generation from spherical nanoparticles. The sources of the second-harmonic radiation are represented through an effective nonlinear polarization. The solution is derived in the framework of the Mie theory by expanding the pump field, the nonlinear sources and the second-harmonic fields in series of spherical vector wave functions. We use the proposed solution for studying the second-harmonic radiation generated from gold nanospheres as function of the pump wavelength and the particle size, in the framework of the Rudnick-Stern model. We demonstrate the importance of high-order multipolar contributions to the second-harmonic radiated power. Moreover, we investigate the p- and s- components of the SH radiation as the Rudnick-Stern parameters change, finding a strong variation. This approach provides a rigorous methodology to understand second-order optical processes in metal nanoparticles, and to design novel nanoplasmonic devices in the nonlinear regime., Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures

A novel theoretical approach to the dynamics analysis of excitation of plasmon modes in nanoparticles is presented. This approach is based on the biorthogonal plasmon mode expansion and it leads to the predictions of time-dynamics of excitation of specific plasmon modes as well as their steady state amplitude and their decay. Temporal characteristics of plasmon modes in nanoparticles are expressed in terms of their shapes, permittivity dispersion relations and excitation conditions. In the case of the Drude model, analytical expressions for time-dynamics of plasmon modes are obtained., Comment: 5 figures