Strong coupling between single atoms and nontransversal photons.

Light is often described as a fully transverse-polarized wave, i.e., with an electric field vector that is orthogonal to the direction of propagation. However, light confined in dielectric structures such as optical waveguides or whispering-gallery-mode microresonators can have a strong longitudinal polarization component. Here, using single (85)Rb atoms strongly coupled to a whispering-gallery-mode microresonator, we experimentally and theoretically demonstrate that the presence of this longitudinal polarization fundamentally alters the interaction between light and matter.