Spontaneous Emission in the presence of Quantum Mirrors (2402.10303v1)
Abstract: Arrays of atoms coupled to waveguides can behave as mirrors. We consider an array of $\Lambda$-type three-level atoms wherein preparing the atoms in one ground state or another leads to reflection or transmission of the guided electromagnetic field; a superposition of the two ground states thus corresponds to a coherent superposition of mirror-like and transparent boundary conditions. We analyze the spontaneous emission of an excited two-level atom in the presence of such a quantum mirror, and inside a cavity formed by quantum mirrors, demonstrating that the resulting dynamics of the excited atom can exhibit exotic features, e.g., a superposition of Rabi cycle and exponential decay. Our results pave the way for exploring quantum electrodynamics (QED) phenomena in a paradigm wherein boundary conditions can exhibit quantum superpositions and correlations.
- H. Mabuchi and A. C. Doherty, Science 298, 1372 (2002).
- L. Novotny and B. Hecht, Principles of Nano-Optics, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
- P. W. Milonni, The Quantum Vacuum: An Introduction to Quantum Electrodynamics (Elsevier Science, 1994).
- J. D. Jackson, Classical electrodynamics (Third edition. New York : Wiley, 1999).
- R. J. Cook and P. W. Milonni, Phys. Rev. A 35, 5081 (1987).
- X.-P. Feng and K. Ujihara, Phys. Rev. A 41, 2668 (1990).
- F. Le Kien and A. Rauschenbeutel, Phys. Rev. A 90, 063816 (2014).
- P. Milonni and P. Knight, Optics Communications 9, 119 (1973).