PRL – Drexhage’s experiment with a Chinese gong

Drexhage’s seminal observation that spontaneous emission rates of fluorophores vary with distance from a mirror uncovered the fundamental notion that a source’s environment determines radiative linewidths and shifts, a cornerstone in cavity QED. Moreover, this observation established a powerful tool to determine fluorescence quantum yields. We present the direct analogue for sound using a Chinese gong at a concrete wall.

L. Langguth, R. Fleury, A. Alu, and A. F. Koenderink, Drexhage’s Experiment for Sound, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 224301, (2016).