We investigate field quantization in high-curvature geometries. The models and calculations can help with understanding the elastic and inelastic scattering of photons and electrons in nanostructures and probe-like metallic domains. The results find important applications in high-resolution photonic and electronic modalities of scanning probe microscopy, nano-optics, plasmonics, and quantum sensing. Quasistatic formulation, leading to nonretarded quantities, is employed and justified on the basis of the nanoscale, here subwavelength, dimensions of the considered domains of interest. Within the quasistatic framework, we represent the nanostructure material domains with frequency-dependent dielectric functions. Quantities associated with the normal modes of the electronic systems, the nonretarded plasmon dispersion relations, eigenmodes, and fields are then calculated for several geometric entities of use in nanoscience and nanotechnology. From the classical energy of the charge density oscillations in the modeled nanoparticle, we then derive the Hamiltonian of the system, which is used for quantization. The quantized plasmon field is obtained and, employing an interaction Hamiltonian derived from the first-order perturbation theory within the hydrodynamic model of an electron gas, we obtain an analytical expression for the radiative decay rate of the plasmons. The established treatment is applied to multiple geometries to investigate the quantized charge density oscillations on their bounding surfaces. Specifically, using one sheet of a two-sheeted hyperboloid of revolution, paraboloid of revolution, and cylindrical domains, all with one infinite dimension, and the finite spheroidal and toroidal domains are treated. In addition to a comparison of the paraboloidal and hyperboloidal results, interesting similarities are observed for the paraboloidal domains with respect to the surface modes and radiation patterns of a prolate spheroid, a finite geometric domain highly suitable for modeling of nanoparticles such as quantum dots. The prolate and oblate spheroidal calculations are validated by comparison to the spherical case, which is obtained as a special case of a spheroid. In addition to calculating the potential and field distributions, and dispersion relations, we study the angular intensity and the relation between the emission angle with the rate of radiative decay. The various morphologies are compared for their plasmon dispersion properties, field distributions, and radiative decay rates, which are shown to be consistent. For the specific case of a nanoring, modeled in the toroidal geometry, significant complexity arises due to an inherent coupling among the various modes. Within reasonable approximations to decouple the modes, we study the radiative decay channel for a vacuum bounded single solid nanoring by quantizing the fields associated with charge density oscillations on the nanoring surface. Further suggestions are made for future studies. The obtained results are relevant to other material domains that model a nanostructure such as a probe tip, quantum dot, or nanoantenna.

This dissertation is divided up into two parts, each examining a distinct theme. The rst part of our work concerns itself with open quantum systems and the relaxation phenomena arising from the repeated application of an interaction Hamiltonian on systems composed of quantum harmonic oscillators. For the second part of our work, we shift gears and investigate the wave propagation in left-handed media, or materials with simultaneously negative electric permeability and magnetic permeability . Each of these two parts is complete within its own context. In the rst part of this dissertation, we introduce a relaxation-generating model which we use to study the process by which quantum correlations are created when an interaction Hamiltonian is repeatedly applied to bipartite harmonic oscillator systems for some characteristic time interval . The two important time scales which enter our results are discussed in detail. We show that the relaxation time obtained by the application of this repeated interaction scheme is proportional to both the strength of interaction and to the characteristic time interval . Through discussing the implications of our model, we show that, for the case where the oscillator frequencies are equal, the initial Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions of the uncoupled parts evolve to a new Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution through a series of transient Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions, or quasi-stationary, non-equilibrium states. We further analyze the case in which the two oscillator frequencies are unequal and show how the application of the same model leads to a non-thermal steady state. The calculations are exact and the results are obtained through an iterative process, without using perturbation theory. In the second part of this dissertation, we examine the response of a plane wave incident on a at surface of a left-handed material, a medium characterized by simultaneously negative electric permittivity and magnetic permeability . We do this by solving Maxwell's equations explicitly. In the literature up to date, it has been assumed that negative refractive materials are necessarily frequency dispersive. We propose an alternative to this assumption by suggesting that the requirement of positive energy density can be relaxed, and discuss the implications of such a proposal. More speci cally, we show that once negative energy solutions are accepted, the requirement for frequency dispersion is no longer needed. We further argue that, for the purposes of discussing left-handed materials, the use of group velocity as the physically signi cant quantity is misleading, and suggest that any discussion involving it should be carefully reconsidered. / text