Phase time delay caused by quantum effects in nearby plasmonic nanostructures of a one-dimensional photonic crystal

Abstract

A one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC) incorporated with a defect layer containing a four-level double V-type quantum system adjacent to a plasmonic nanostructure is employed to investigate the Hartman effect. The study involves the interaction of two orthogonal circularly polarized laser beams with the defect layer, possessing identical frequencies but vary in phase and electric field amplitude. The defect layer exhibits atom-field interaction phenomena like optical transparency, nonzero dispersion with zero absorption, gain without inversion, and others related effects. By manipulating the phase of the driving fields and probe detuning, the 1DPC can function as either a positive index material (PIM) or a negative index material (NIM), correlating to the normal and anomalous dispersion of the defect layer, respectively. The positive and negative Hartman effects for PIM and NIM, respectively, can be observed by adjusting the relative phase with respect to the driving fields. Our suggested approach might be used in optical memory, all-optical switching, all-optical routing, and interferometry.