{
  "abstract": "We develop a quantum-electrodynamical theory for universal tuning of spontaneous emission and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in a material-agnostic conductor-dielectric-conductor heterostructure. The platform consists of a dielectric spacer of thickness $W$ bounded by two gate-tunable two-dimensional conductors. The only microscopic input from the surrounding materials is the transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric reflection amplitudes $r_{\\TM/\\TE}(q_ρ,ω)$ of the two sheets. Starting from the QED photon propagator, we derive the retarded Maxwell dyadic, the vacuum/Hadamard field propagator, and the time-ordered Feynman propagator in the same geometry. The spontaneous-emission rate is controlled by the local vacuum spectral density, while FRET is controlled by the nonlocal retarded/advanced product $\\obG_{\\text R}(\\bx_D,\\bx_A;ω_D)\\Im\\,\\balpha_A(ω_D)\\obG_{\\text A}(\\bx_A,\\bx_D;ω_D)$. In the transparent limit $r_{\\TM}\\to 0$, the near-field FRET rate recovers the bulk $x_ρ^{-6}$ law. In the Dirichlet/PEC branch $r_{\\TM}\\to -1$, the gapless transverse mode is removed and the donor-acceptor coupling acquires a Bessel-$K$ envelope, giving an exponentially screened FRET rate $Γ_{D\\to A}\\propto\\exp(-2πx_ρ/W)$ at large lateral separation. In the opposite Neumann/PMC-like branch $r_{\\TM}\\to 1^{-}$, a nearly gapless transverse mode survives and produces a wide quasi-two-dimensional logarithmic propagator, enhancing the nonlocal electromagnetic coupling over a gate-programmable range $x_{ρ,*}\\sim W/(1-r_{\\TM})$. For graphene-Er implementations, the same retarded Green tensor also separates dissipative on-shell Er-to-graphene decay, governed by its absorptive part, from dispersive virtual-plasmon-mediated Er-Er coupling, governed by its reactive part; a plasmonic band gap can suppress the former while retaining the latter.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2608.30150",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Alexis J. Agosto"
    },
    {
      "name": "Daniel Gunlycke"
    },
    {
      "name": "Michael N. Leuenberger"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0pdsapwn2ja3k.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2608.30150",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0pdsapwn2ja3k",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30150",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.mes-hall"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2204|Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7204892850",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.30150",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-31",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0pdsapwn2ja3k.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
      "native_id": "2608.30150",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.30150"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.mes-hall",
      "subfield": "condensed-matter"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Universal tuning of Förster resonance energy transfer in gate-programmable conductor-dielectric-conductor heterostructures",
  "title_text": "Universal tuning of Förster resonance energy transfer in gate-programmable conductor-dielectric-conductor heterostructures",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:41Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0pdsapwn2ja3k",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}