Abstract
Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range atom–atom interactions. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. We use cold 87Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a unique tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof of principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics.
Highlights
Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance
These states emerge from atoms interacting via a common mode of the electromagnetic field, and their generation and control can enable adittional tools for atomic-based technologies[12,13,14,15,16,17,18] and the study of many-body physics[19, 20]
The master equation that describes the dynamics of an ensemble of atomic dipoles, of density matrix ρ, coupled through the electromagnetic field is given by ref. 25
Summary
Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a unique tool for quantum optics This result constitutes a proof of principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics. Recent realizations using optical nanofibers (ONFs) platforms include optical isolators, switches, memories, and reflectors[11] These devices guide the electromagnetic field, a feature that could allow engineering and control a collective time evolution of macroscopically separated subsystems. States that evolve as a whole with dynamics different to that of the independent subsystems are called collective states These states emerge from atoms interacting via a common mode of the electromagnetic field, and their generation and control can enable adittional tools for atomic-based technologies[12,13,14,15,16,17,18] and the study of many-body physics[19, 20].
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