Thermal entanglement of a two-level atom and bimodal photons in a Kerr nonlinear coupler

Abstract

In this paper thermally induced entanglement between a two-level atom and photons inside a bimodal nonlinear coupler is studied. The interaction occurs in the presence of a centrosymmetric medium which couples the two photonic modes via the first and third order susceptibilities. Such effects on the atom–photons interaction, however, are assumed negligible so that the linear Jaynes–Cummings model applies. It is further assumed that the coupler is held at a temperature T, so that each of the combined atom–photon states, with a definite, T dependent, probability, is present. The partially transposed density matrix and, consequently, the negativity, as a measure of entanglement, are determined as functions of temperature. The negativity so calculated shows that the system of a two-level atom and photons is separable at zero temperature, becomes more entangled, reaching the maximal at a certain temperature and asymptotically disentangles. Effect of medium characteristics on such behavior is also discussed.