The structure of phase diagrams in matter-radiation systems**This work is dedicated to the memory of Professor Roy Glauber, for his numerous contributions to the development and promotion of quantum optics and mathematical physics.

Abstract

We present a study of the structure of phase diagrams for matter-radiation systems, based on the use of coherent states and the catastrophe formalism, that compares very well with the exact quantum solutions as well as providing analytical expressions. Emphasis is made on 2- and 3-level systems, but in general n-level systems in the presence of ℓ electromagnetic modes are described. Due to the infinite-dimensional nature of the Hilbert space, and using the results of the analyses and the behaviour of the solutions, we construct a sequence of ever-approximating reduced bases, which make possible the study of larger systems both, in the number of atoms and in the number of excitations. These studies are of importance in fundamental quantum optics, quantum information, and quantum cryptography scenarios.