QED with a spherical mirror

Abstract

We investigate the Quantum-Electro-Dynamic properties of an atomic electron close to the focus of a spherical mirror. We first show that the spontaneous emission and excited state level shift of the atom can be fully suppressed with mirror-atom distances of many wavelengths. A three-dimensional theory predicts that the spectral density of vacuum fluctuations can indeed vanish within a volume $\lambda^3$ around the atom, with the use of a far distant mirror covering only half of the atomic emission solid angle. The modification of these QED atomic properties is also computed as a function of the mirror size and large effects are found for only moderate numerical apertures. We also evaluate the long distance ground state energy shift (Casimir-Polder shift) and find that it scales as $(\lambda/R)^2$ at the focus of a hemi-spherical mirror of radius $R$, as opposed to the well known $(\lambda/R)^4$ scaling law for an atom at a distance $R$ from an infinite plane mirror. Our results are relevant for investigations of QED effects, and also free space coupling to single atoms using high-numerical aperture lenses.