Selective band interaction and long-range hopping in a structured environment with giant atoms

Abstract: Giant atoms, which couple to the environment at multiple discrete points, exhibit various nontrivial phenomena in quantum optics due to their nonlocal couplings. In this study, we propose a one-dimensional cross-stitch ladder lattice featuring both a dispersive band and a flat band. By modulating the relative phase between the coupling points, the giant atom selectively interacts with either band. First, we analyze the scenario where the dispersive and flat bands intersect at two points, and the atomic frequency lies within the band. Unlike the small atom, which simultaneously interacts with both bands, a single giant atom with a controllable phase interacts exclusively with the dispersive or flat band. Second, in the bandgap regime, where two atoms interact through bound-state overlaps manifesting as dipole-dipole interactions, we demonstrate that giant atoms enable deterministic long-range hopping and energy exchange with higher fidelity compared to small atoms. These findings provide promising applications in quantum information processing, offering enhanced controllability and selectivity for quantum systems and devices.