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arXiv:2009.08602 · Physical Review A

Optimal two-photon excitation of bound states in non-Markovian waveguide QED

Rahul Trivedi, Daniel Malz, Shuo Sun, Shanhui Fan, Jelena Vuckovic A

Published Jul 7, 2021• 17 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Bound states arise in waveguide QED systems with a strong frequency-dependence of the coupling between emitters and photonic modes. While exciting such bound-states with single-photon wave-packets is not possible, photon-photon interactions mediated by the emitters can be used to excite them with two-photon states. In this Letter, we use scattering theory to provide upper limits on this excitation probability for a general non-Markovian waveguide QED system and show that this limit can be reached by a two-photon wave packet with vanishing uncertainty in the total photon energy. Furthermore, we also analyze multi-emitter waveguide QED systems with multiple bound states and provide a systematic construction of two-photon wave packets that can excite a given superposition of these bound states. As specific examples, we study bound-state trapping in waveguide QED systems with single and multiple emitters and a time-delayed feedback.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.104.013705

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Bound states arise in waveguide QED systems with a strong frequency-dependence of the coupling between emitters and photonic modes. While exciting such bound-states with single-photon wave-packets is not possible, photon-photon interactions mediated by the emitters can be used to excite them with two-photon states. In this Letter, we use scattering theory to provide upper limits on this excitation probability for a general non-Markovian waveguide QED system and show that this limit can be reached by a two-photon wave packet with vanishing uncertainty in the total photon energy. Furthermore, we also analyze multi-emitter waveguide QED systems with multiple bound states and provide a systematic construction of two-photon wave packets that can excite a given superposition of these bound states. As specific examples, we study bound-state trapping in waveguide QED systems with single and multiple emitters and a time-delayed feedback.
Within the matrix product state framework, we study the non-Markovian feedback dynamics of a two-level system interacting with the electromagnetic field inside a semi-infinite waveguide where the excitation of an atom-photon bound state is possible. Taking the steady-state excitation of the emitter as a figure of merit, we compare the trapped excitation for an initially excited quantum emitter and an emitter prepared via quantized pulses containing up to four photons. In the latter case, we find that for large feedback delay times, multiphoton pulses can yield a significantly higher steady-state excitation than possible with an initially excited emitter since the stimulated emission process can enhance the trapping probability in comparison to the spontaneous decay of an initially excited emitter.
We investigate one- and two-photon scattering in a one-dimensional waveguide coupled to a giant atom within the non-Markovian regime using the resolvent approach. The non-Markovian behavior gives rise to an atom-photon bound state that cannot be excited by a single incident photon. However, the bound state can be excited via the two-photon scattering process described by multichannel scattering theory, from which an analytical trapping probability of a photon in the bound state can be achieved. Additionally, we analyze the two-photon scattering process, obtaining the analytical expressions for scattered states. As non-Markovian effects strengthen, two peaks appear in the incoherent power spectrum, attributed to the system behaving as a leaky cavity formed by the giant atom's coupling points. Through the analysis of second-order correlation functions, we observe the bunching behavior for transmitted photons, antibunching behavior for reflected photons, and the distinctive retrieval behavior at the coupling points' separation.
Excitation of a bound state in the continuum (BIC) through scattering is problematic since it is by definition uncoupled. Here, we consider a type of dressed BIC and show that it can be excited in a nonlinear system through multiphoton scattering and delayed quantum feedback. The system is a semi-infinite waveguide with linear dispersion coupled to a qubit, in which a single-photon, dressed BIC is known to exist. We show that this BIC can be populated via multiphoton scattering in the non-Markovian regime, where the photon delay time (due to the qubit-mirror distance) is comparable with the qubit's decay. A similar process excites the BIC existing in an infinite waveguide coupled to two distant qubits, thus yielding stationary entanglement between the qubits. This shows, in particular, that single-photon trapping via multiphoton scattering can occur without band edge effects or cavities, the essential resource being instead the delayed quantum feedback provided by a single mirror or the emitters themselves.
Waveguide quantum electrodynamics platforms have emerged as promising candidates for exploring and implementing non-Markovian quantum phenomena. In this work, we investigate the formation and dynamics of superpositions of bound states in a cavity array waveguide coupled to two spatially separated quantum emitters. By tuning the system parameters, we show that spontaneous emission can drive the system into non-local equilibrium states in which both photonic and emitter populations exhibit persistent oscillations. These states arise from the coexistence of bound states embedded in the energy continuum and bound states outside it, leading to hybrid oscillatory modes. We analytically derive the conditions required for the emergence of these states, numerically simulate their formation through spontaneous emission, and predict their long-time behaviour. Our results demonstrate that such bound-state superpositions enable the generation of emitter-emitter interaction through free evolution, while supporting oscillatory breathing modes of the photon density between the emitters.
Quadratic light-matter interactions are nonlinear couplings such that quantum emitters interact with photonic or phononic modes exclusively via the exchange of excitation pairs.Implementable with atomic and solid-state systems, these couplings lead to a plethora of phenomena that have been characterized in the context of cavity QED, where quantum emitters interact with localized bosonic modes.Here, we explore quadratic interactions in a waveguide QED setting, where quantum emitters interact with propagating fields confined in a one-dimensional environment.We develop a general scattering theory under the Markov approximation and discuss paradigmatic examples for spontaneous emission and scattering of biphoton states.Our analytical and semianalytical results unveil fundamental differences with respect to conventional waveguide QED systems, such as the spontaneous emission frequency-entangled photon pairs or the full transparency of the emitter to single-photon inputs.This unlocks new opportunities in quantum information processing with propagating photons.As a striking example, we show that a single quadratically coupled emitter can implement a two-photon logic gate with unit fidelity, circumventing a no-go theorem derived for conventional waveguide-QED interactions.
We study the emergence of two types of two-photon bounds states in waveguides of any chirality. Specifically, we present a systematic way of analytically determining the eigenstates of a system consisting of a waveguide coupled to a partially chiral, infinite array of equidistant two-level emitters. Using an effective Hamiltonian approach, we determine the properties of the two-photon bound states by determining their dispersion relation and internal structure. The bound states come in two varieties, depending on the two-photon momentum and emitter spacing. One of these states is a long-lived true bound state, whereas the other, a scattering resonance, decays in time via coupling to free two-photon states, leading to resonances and corresponding phase shifts in the photon-photon scattering.