Manipulation of nonreciprocal unconventional photon blockade in a cavity-driven system composed of an asymmetrical cavity and two atoms with weak dipole–dipole interaction

Abstract

We present a work of manipulating collective unconventional photon blockade (UCPB) and nonreciprocal UCPB (NUCPB) in a cavity-driven system composed of an asymmetrical single-mode cavity and two interacting identical two-level atoms (TLAs). When the atoms do not interact directly, the frequency and intensity restrictions of collective UCPB can be specified, and a giant NUCPB exists due to the splitting of optimal atom–cavity coupling strength in proper parameter regime. However, if a weak atom–atom interaction which provides a new and feeble quantum interference pathway to UCPB is taken into account, two restrictions of UCPB are combined complexly, which are rigorous to be matched simultaneously. Due to the push-and-pull effect induced by weak dipole–dipole interaction, the UCPB regime is compressed more or less. NUCPB is improved as a higher contrast is present when the two complex UCPB restrictions are matched, while it is suppressed when the restrictions are mismatched. In general, whether NUCPB is suppressed or promoted depends on its working parameters. Our findings show a prospective access to produce giant quantum nonreciprocity by a couple of weakly interacting atoms.