Recently, photonic atoms (dielectric microspheres) have enjoyed the attention of the optical spectroscopy community. A variety of linear and nonlinear optical processes have been observed in liquid microdroplets. But solid state photonic devices using these properties are scarce. A first of these applications is the room temperature microparticle hole-burning memory. New applications can be envisioned if microparticle resonances can be coupled to traveling waves in optical fibers. In this paper we demonstrate the excitation of narrow morphology dependent resonances of microparticles placed on an optical fiber. Furthermore we reveal a model for this process which describes the coupling efficiency in terms of the geometrical and material properties of the microparticle-fiber system.
An electrodynamic levitator-trap (Paul trap) is used at line frequency (i.e. 60 Hz) as a sample cell for the long term microphotography of a microparticle in air at STP. Images are obtained in a trap modified to eliminate stray static fields at its AC 'null' point. Resolution in these long term images is found to be limited principally by stochastic thermal fluctuations and optical diffraction. A stochastic differential equation constructed for describing the particle's motion is found to be in good agreement with imaging experiments. This model provides an optimal limit to which a particle may be localized by increasing the drive potential, and indicates that this limit is a function principally of particle size and temperature. Images taken in fluorescence from a glycerol particle containing a probable surfactant are presented. Polarization resolution of these images clearly shows segregation of the molecule to the surface and identifies the orientation of the molecular emission moment in relation to the surface normal.
We have investigated the use of micron-sized liquid droplets as sample medium to detect single fluorescent molecules in solution. The use of microdroplets (5 - 15 micrometers diameter) offers several powerful advantages over single-molecule detection schemes involving measurements on bulk liquids where the probe volume is defined by the laser beam. In addition, cavity-quantum electrodynamical (QED) effects have been observed which influence both spontaneous emission rates and fluorescence yields of dye molecules in these microspheres.
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