Modification of two-level-atom resonance fluorescence near a plasmonic nanostructure

Modification of the resonance fluorescence spectrum of a two-level atom driven by a monochromatic field in the close proximity of a plasmonic nanostructure (metal sphere) is studied in detail. It is shown that one can control this spectrum by varying several key parameters: (i) the radius of the nanosphere, (ii) polarization of the incident radiation, and (iii) the atom's location around the nanosphere (its radial coordinate and polar angle in the spherical coordinate system). These parameters affect the local field enhancement and the modification of the radiative decay rate of the atom interacting with the nanosphere, which leads to modification of the resonance fluorescence spectrum of the atom (e.g., frequency shift of the satellite lines in the Mollow-type triplet, widths of the lines, and the spectrum intensity) by contrast with that in free space. The permittivity of the metal the nanosphere is made of is also an additional parameter, which defines the nonradiative decay. The latter in combination with other parameters allows continuous control of the transition from resonance fluorescence enhancement to its quenching.