The dynamics of waveguide-QED systems involving coherent time-delayed feedback give rise to a hierarchy of multitime correlations within the Heisenberg picture due to the induced non-Markovianity. We propose to perform a projection onto a complete set of states in the Hilbert space to decompose the multitime correlations into single-time matrix elements. To illustrate the procedure, we consider the paradigmatic example of a two-level system that couples to a semi-infinite waveguide and interacts with quantum light pulses. Our approach complements the range of available methods as it allows calculating the dynamics under the inclusion of additional dissipation channels in a numerically exact and efficient manner for multiphoton pulses of arbitrary shape where memory requirements are known in advance.
The dynamics of waveguide-QED systems involving coherent time-delayed feedback give rise to a hierarchy of multitime correlations within the Heisenberg picture due to the induced non-Markovianity. We propose to perform a projection onto a complete set of states in the Hilbert space to decompose the multitime correlations into single-time matrix elements. To illustrate the procedure, we consider the paradigmatic example of a two-level system that couples to a semi-infinite waveguide and interacts with quantum light pulses. Our approach complements the range of available methods as it allows calculating the dynamics under the inclusion of additional dissipation channels in a numerically exact and efficient manner for multiphoton pulses of arbitrary shape where memory requirements are known in advance.
The calculation of the non-Markovian dynamics of waveguide-QED systems with coherent time-delayed feedback within the Heisenberg picture gives access to the microscopic dynamics and allows the inclusion of dissipation channels. However, typically a hierarchy of multi-time correlations arises. We propose to unravel these multi-time correlations via a projection onto a complete set of states in the Hilbert space. In particular, we consider a two-level system inside a semi-infinite waveguide subjected to quantum light pulses. Our approach makes it possible to calculate the dynamics in a numerically exact and efficient manner for multiphoton pulses of arbitrary shape with memory requirements known a priori.
We present two different methods for modeling non-Markovian quantum light-matter interactions in waveguide QED systems, using matrix product states (MPSs) and a space-discretized waveguide (SDW) model.After describing the general theory and implementation of both approaches, we compare and contrast these methods directly on three topical problems of interest in waveguide-QED, including (i) a two-level system (TLS) coupled to an infinite (one-dimensional) waveguide, (ii) a TLS coupled to a terminated waveguide with a time-delayed coherent feedback, and (iii) two spatially separated TLSs coupled within an infinite waveguide.Both approaches are shown to efficiently describe multiphoton nonlinear dynamics in highly non-Markovian regimes, and we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for modeling waveguide QED interactions, including their implementation in PYTHON, computational run times, and ease of conceptual understanding.We explore both vacuum dynamics as well as regimes of strong optical pumping, where a weak excitation approximation cannot be applied.The MPS approach scales better when modeling multiphoton dynamics and long delay times and explicitly includes non-Markovian memory effects.In contrast, the SDW model accounts for non-Markovian effects through space discretization and solves Markovian equations of motion, yet rigorously includes the effects of retardation.The SDW model, based on an extension of recent collisional pictures in quantum optics, is solved through quantum trajectory techniques and can more easily add in additional dissipation processes, including off-chip decay and TLS pure dephasing.The impact of these processes is shown directly on feedback-induced population trapping and TLS entanglement between spatially separated TLSs.
We study the nonlinear spectra and multiphoton correlation functions of a waveguide system coupled to a two-level system (including realistic dissipation channels) with a time-delayed coherent feedback. We compute these observables by extending a recent quantum trajectory discretized-waveguide (QTDW) approach which exploits quantum trajectory simulations and a collisional model for the waveguide to efficiently simulate the quantum dynamics. Following a description of the general technique, we show how to calculate the first- and second-order quantum correlation functions, in the presence of a coherent pumping field. With a short delay time, we show how feedback can be used to filter out the central peak of the Mollow triplet or switch the output between bunched and antibunched photons by proper choice of round trip phase. We further show how the loop length and round trip phase affect the zero-time second-order quantum correlation function, an indicator of bunching or antibunching. New resonances introduced through the feedback loop are also shown through their appearance in the incoherent output spectrum from the waveguide. We explain these results in the context of the waiting time distributions of the system output and individual trajectories, uniquely stochastic observables that are easily accessible with the QTDW model.
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 formation 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. In the latter case, we find that for certain feedback delay times, multi-photon pulses yield a significantly higher steady-state excitation than possible with an initially excited emitter. In the system we consider, we find an increase of around 90 percent. Thus, the quantum optical initialization is found to be more efficient due to the self-consistent inclusion of emerging quantum noise. Furthermore, we propose a recursive Heisenberg ansatz which shows good qualitative agreement with the numerically expensive matrix product state method and requires only numerical resources growing quadratically with the number of excitations.
To continue developing quantum technologies, such as quantum computing, quantum communication and quantum cryptography, we need reliable sources of quantum states of light. These quantum states of light can come in many forms; single photons, entangled pairs, bunched and anti-bunched light, all have uses in current quantum technologies, but for the best performance, this light must maintain its coherence. Time-delayed coherent feedback is a passive feedback method proposed for waveguide quantum electrodynamic systems to improve their performance and unlock new quantum optical phenomena. Additionally, due to its underlying non-Markovian dynamics, feedback is also an interesting theoretical problem to study. In this thesis, we use a quantum trajectory discretized waveguide (QTDW) model to simulate feedback dynamics and investigate its effects in a variety of applications. Originally proposed by Whalen in 2018, we develop the QTDW model beyond its initial implementation to now calculate quantum correlation functions, output spectra, waiting time distributions, and single photon source figures of merit. First, we present an explanation of quantum trajectory theory which is used to model the time dynamics in the QTDW approach, and discuss feedback in the linear regime to highlight the differences between Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics with coherent feedback. We next present nonlinear spectra and multi-photon effects from coherent feedback highlighting how the typical Mollow triplet is dressed by the feedback to create new resonances in the output field. This is followed by a collaborative theory and experiment work which observed our predicted non-Markovian signatures in the nonlinear output spectrum along with new non-Markovian phenomena in the linear regime. We then investigate how pulse-triggered single photon sources can be improved through the inclusion of a time-delayed coherent feedback, presenting the possible improvement to the performance figures of merit. Lastly, the modeling techniques developed for single photon sources with feedback are used to compare the performance of three new off-resonant driving techniques for on-demand single photon sources. These findings show time-delayed coherent feedback is an excellent degree of control to include in future waveguide quantum electrodynamic systems to unlock better performance and new phenomena in the system under investigation.
We present a matrix product state (MPS) method for including decoherence processes in calculations involving waveguide quantum electrodynamics (waveguide QED) using density matrices. The approach is based on collision quantum optics, where the many-body state of the waveguide is represented using discrete time bins, which are then efficiently encoded using an MPS chain. Our method is a generalization of previous MPS methods, and we demonstrate how one can efficiently extend the method to density matrices, allowing for the inclusion of various loss processes in the form of Lindblad terms in the Liouvillian superoperator responsible for the relevant dissipation dynamics. As an application of the theory, we study various waveguide QED systems and the influence of emitter pure dephasing (which is one of the most important processes in real systems) on the light-matter interactions, including a two-level system (TLS) in a semi-infinite waveguide with time-delayed feedback, two spatially separated TLSs with finite delays, and finally the scattering of few-photon Fock pulses on a TLS. In addition to emitter pure dephasing, we also show how to include off-chip radiative decay, and show how it differs qualitatively from pure dephasing.