Super-radiance reveals infinite-range dipole interactions through a nanofiber (1704.07486v2)

Abstract: Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e. super- and sub-radiance. The generation and control of such states by engineering the dipolar interactions between atoms can enable new tools for atomic-based technologies. Atom-atom interactions in free space are limited in range, since the amplitude of the radiated field decreases inversely with distance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range interactions. This has been observed for atoms in an optical cavity, but remains to be proven in one-dimensional waveguides, where the extent of the interactions is not limited by the cavity size. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. This is evidenced by the collective radiative decay of a single photon distributed between distant atoms. We use cold $^{87}$Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. This effect is not possible for atoms separated by more than a wavelength interacting through free space. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a novel tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof-of-principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics. Given the application of one-dimensional waveguides in photonic-based quantum technologies, we envision infinite-range interactions as the natural next step towards interconnecting quantum systems on scales suitable for practical applications.