Topological Quantum Transducers in a Hybrid Rydberg Atom System

Abstract: We propose a topological transport platform for microwave-to-optical conversion at the single-photon level in a Rydberg atom-cavity setting. This setting leverages a hybrid dual-mode Jaynes-Cummings (JC) configuration, where a microwave resonator couples an optical cavity mediated by a Rydberg atom ensemble. Our scheme uniquely enables the formation of Fock-state lattices (FSLs), where photon hopping rates depend on photon numbers in individual sites. We identify an inherent zero-energy mode corresponding to the dark state of the dual-mode JC model. This enables to build a high-efficiency single-photon transducer, which realizes topologically protected photon transport between the microwave and optical modes. Crucially, we show analytically that the FSL features continuous variations of the winding number. Our work establishes a robust mechanism for efficient quantum transduction in synthetic dimensions and opens avenues for exploring topological physics with continuous winding numbers in the atom-cavity system.