Chiral-Extended Photon-Emitter Dressed States in Non-Hermitian Topological Baths

Abstract: The interplay of quantum emitters and non-Hermitian structured baths has received increasing attention in recent years. Here, we predict unconventional quantum optical behaviors of quantum emitters coupled to a non-Hermitian topological bath, which is realized in a 1D Su-Schrieffer-Heeger photonic chain subjected to nonlocal dissipation. In addition to the Hermitian-like chiral bound states in the middle line gap and skin-mode-like hidden bound states inside the point gap, we identify peculiar in-gap chiral and extended photon-emitter dressed states. This is due to the competition of topological-edge localization and non-Hermitian skin-mode localization in combination with the non-Bloch bulk-boundary correspondence. Furthermore, when two emitters are coupled to the same bath, such in-gap dressed states can mediate the nonreciprocal long-range emitter-emitter interactions, with the interaction range limited only by the dissipation of the bath. Our work opens the door to further study rich quantum optical phenomena and exotic many-body physics utilizing quantum emitters coupled to non-Hermitian topological baths.