Non-Markovian spontaneous emission dynamics of a quantum emitter near a MoS$_2$ nanodisk

Abstract

We introduce a photonic nanostructure made of two dimensional materials that can lead to non-Markovian dynamics in the spontaneous emission of a nearby quantum emitter. Specifically, we investigate the spontaneous emission dynamics of a two-level quantum emitter with picosecond free-space decay time, modelling J-aggregates, close to a MoS$_2$ nanodisk. Reversible population dynamics in the quantum emitter is obtained when the emitter's frequency matches the frequency of an exciton-polariton resonance created by the nanodisk. When such isolated resonances exist, decaying Rabi oscillations may occur. The overlapping of exciton-polariton resonances also affects strongly the decay dynamics at close distances to the nanodisk, giving rise to complex decaying population oscillations. At very close distances of the emitter to the nanodisk the ultrastrong coupling regime appears, where after a very fast oscillatory partial decay of the initial population, the emitter rest population remains constant over long times and population trapping occurs. The size and material quality of the nanodisk is shown to be of lesser influence on the above results.