Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2411.10441 · Science Advances

Unlocking multiphoton emission from a single-photon source through mean-field engineering

Sang Kyu Kim, Eduardo Zubizarreta Casalengua, Katarina Boos, Friedrich Sbresny, Carolin Calcagno, Hubert Riedl, Jonathan James Finley, C. Antón, Fabrice P. Laussy, Kai Müller, Lukas Hanschke, Elena del Valle

Published Oct 29, 2025• 6 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In the single-photon emission from a two-level system, multiphotons are generally regarded as accidental, undesired, and unrelated to the mechanism. In coherently driven systems, however, they form the cornerstone of single-photon emission, which arises from quantum interferences between virtual multiphoton fluctuations of the emitter and the Poissonian superposition of all number states induced by the driving. Here, we demonstrate how one can control the multiphoton dynamics by disrupting these quantum interferences through an external homodyne control of the emitter's mean field. Experimentally, we observed a transition from single-photon to multiphoton emission, up to three-photon correlations. We show that, counterintuitively, quantum fluctuations always play a major qualitative role, even and, in fact, especially when their quantitative contribution is vanishing. Our findings provide distinct insights into the paradoxical character of quantum mechanics and open pathways for mean-field engineering as a tool for precision multiphoton control.

DOI
10.1126/sciadv.adw3395

Related papers

Unlocking multiphoton emission from a single-photon source through mean-field engineering

Sang Kyu Kim, Eduardo Zubizarreta Casalengua, Katarina Boos +9 more

We demonstrate that multiphoton fluctuations in the resonance fluorescence of a two-level system govern the underlying physics of shaping the finally observed quantum-optical emission, despite their small quantitative contribution.

•Jan 1, 2025•0 citations

Multiphoton quantum-state engineering using conditional measurements

Omar S. Magaña‐Loaiza, Roberto de J. León‐Montiel, Armando Pérez-Leija +7 more

Abstract The quantum theory of electromagnetic radiation predicts characteristic statistical fluctuations for light sources as diverse as sunlight, laser radiation, and molecule fluorescence. Indeed, these underlying statistical fluctuations of light are associated with the fundamental physical processes behind their generation. In this contribution, we experimentally demonstrate that the manipulation of the quantum electromagnetic fluctuations of two-mode squeezed vacuum states leads to a family of quantum-correlated multiphoton states with tunable mean photon numbers and degree of correlation. Our technique relies on the use of conditional measurements to engineer the excitation mode of the field through the simultaneous subtraction of photons from two-mode squeezed vacuum states. The experimental generation of nonclassical multiphoton states by means of photon subtraction unveils novel mechanisms to control fundamental properties of light. As a remarkable example, we demonstrate the engineering of a quantum state of light with up to ten photons, exhibiting nearly Poissonian photon statistics, that constitutes an important step towards the generation of entangled lasers. Our technique enables a robust protocol to prepare quantum states with multiple photons in high-dimensional spaces and, as such, it constitutes a novel platform for exploring quantum phenomena in mesoscopic systems.

arXiv:1901.00122•npj Quantum Information•Sep 27, 2019•96 citations

Hidden multiphoton dynamics in the Heitler regime of resonance fluorescence

Yanfeng Li, Manman Wang, Chuanyu Zeng +4 more

Resonance fluorescence from a two-level emitter is a standard route to single-photon generation, where the emitter produces only one photon at a time, and multiphoton emission or scattering is inherently suppressed. In this study, we challenge this paradigm in the weak-excitation limit, where coherent scattering dominates. Using a single quantum dot in a microcavity, we show that the incoherent component exhibits pronounced superbunching, revealing simultaneous multiphoton scattering from a single emitter. In contrast, the total reflected field—comprising the reflected driving field and incoherent scattering—displays perfect antibunching, arising from quantum interference that cancels two-photon probability amplitudes. By spectrally filtering the reflected field, we tune the relative contributions of coherent and incoherent components, observing transitions in photon statistics from antibunching to superbunching, or to Poissonian light. Supported by master-equation simulations and an interference-based model, these results uncover the hidden but fundamental role of multiphoton dynamics in resonance fluorescence, and open avenues for generating nonclassical light in cavity and waveguide quantum electrodynamics.

Physical Review Research•Dec 12, 2025•1 citation

Multiphoton blockade in the two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model

Fen Zou, Xiaoya Zhang, Xun‐Wei Xu +2 more

We study multiphoton blockade and photon-induced tunneling effects in the two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model, where a single-mode cavity field and a two-level atom are coupled via a two-photon interaction. We consider both the cavity-field-driving and the atom-driving cases and find that single-photon blockade and photon-induced tunneling effects can be observed when the cavity mode is driven, while the two-photon blockade effect appears when the atom is driven. For the atom-driving case (the two-photon transition process), we present a criterion of the correlation functions for the multiphoton blockade effect. Specifically, we show that quantum interference can enhance the photon blockade effect in the single-photon cavity-field-driving case. Our results are confirmed by analytically and numerically calculating the correlation function of the cavity-field mode. Our work has potential applications in quantum information processing and paves the way for the study of multiphoton quantum coherent devices.

arXiv:1911.03857•Physical Review A•Nov 10, 2020•89 citations

Tunable high-order coherence in the interference of resonance fluorescence and laser light

Hua-Lei Yin, Rong-Zheng Liu, Sheng-Tao Lyu +1 more

Resonance fluorescence arises from the coherent interaction of laser light with a two-level system and constitutes a quantum light source exhibiting single-photon emission and antibunching, making it a fundamental building block for future quantum networks. Our recent work [Nat. Commun.16, 6453 (2025)10.1038/s41467-025-61884-x] demonstrates that under continuous-wave excitation and in the absence of pure dephasing, the single-time joint state of resonance fluorescence and the two-level system can be described by a pure entangled state. Here, we analyze the cross-correlation and auto-correlation properties of the quantum optical field generated by the interference of resonance fluorescence with laser light at the resonance excitation frequency. Simulation results indicate that by varying the intensity or phase of the interfering laser light, the higher-order coherence of the post-interference quantum optical field transitions from anti-bunching to super-bunching behavior, consistent with recent theoretical and experimental advances by mean-field engineering. This approach offers a complementary framework to characterize and manipulate the multiphoton quantum optical fields.

Optics Letters•Apr 13, 2026•0 citations

Tunable Single- and Multiphoton Bundles in Cavity-Coupled Atomic Arrays

Geng Zhao, Yun Chen, Jiayuang Zhang +2 more

We propose an experimentally accessible scheme for realizing tunable nonclassical light in cavity-coupled reconfigurable atomic arrays. By coherently controlling the collective interference phase, the system switches from single-photon blockade to high-purity multiphoton bundle emission, unveiling a hierarchical structure of photon correlations dictated by atom-number parity and cavity detuning. The scaling of photon population identifies the transition between superradiant and subradiant regimes, while parity- and phase-dependent spin correlations elucidate the microscopic interference processes enabling coherent multiphoton generation. This work establishes a unified framework connecting cooperative atomic interactions to controllable nonclassical photon statistics and introduces a distinct interference-enabled mechanism that provides a practical route toward high-fidelity multiphoton sources in scalable cavity QEDs.

quant-pharXiv:2512.01250•Dec 2, 2025•0 citations
In the single-photon emission from a two-level system, multiphotons are generally regarded as accidental, undesired, and unrelated to the mechanism. In coherently driven systems, however, they form the cornerstone of single-photon emission, which arises from quantum interferences between virtual multiphoton fluctuations of the emitter and the Poissonian superposition of all number states induced by the driving. Here, we demonstrate how one can control the multiphoton dynamics by disrupting these quantum interferences through an external homodyne control of the emitter's mean field. Experimentally, we observed a transition from single-photon to multiphoton emission, up to three-photon correlations. We show that, counterintuitively, quantum fluctuations always play a major qualitative role, even and, in fact, especially when their quantitative contribution is vanishing. Our findings provide distinct insights into the paradoxical character of quantum mechanics and open pathways for mean-field engineering as a tool for precision multiphoton control.
Abstract The quantum theory of electromagnetic radiation predicts characteristic statistical fluctuations for light sources as diverse as sunlight, laser radiation, and molecule fluorescence. Indeed, these underlying statistical fluctuations of light are associated with the fundamental physical processes behind their generation. In this contribution, we experimentally demonstrate that the manipulation of the quantum electromagnetic fluctuations of two-mode squeezed vacuum states leads to a family of quantum-correlated multiphoton states with tunable mean photon numbers and degree of correlation. Our technique relies on the use of conditional measurements to engineer the excitation mode of the field through the simultaneous subtraction of photons from two-mode squeezed vacuum states. The experimental generation of nonclassical multiphoton states by means of photon subtraction unveils novel mechanisms to control fundamental properties of light. As a remarkable example, we demonstrate the engineering of a quantum state of light with up to ten photons, exhibiting nearly Poissonian photon statistics, that constitutes an important step towards the generation of entangled lasers. Our technique enables a robust protocol to prepare quantum states with multiple photons in high-dimensional spaces and, as such, it constitutes a novel platform for exploring quantum phenomena in mesoscopic systems.
Resonance fluorescence from a two-level emitter is a standard route to single-photon generation, where the emitter produces only one photon at a time, and multiphoton emission or scattering is inherently suppressed. In this study, we challenge this paradigm in the weak-excitation limit, where coherent scattering dominates. Using a single quantum dot in a microcavity, we show that the incoherent component exhibits pronounced superbunching, revealing simultaneous multiphoton scattering from a single emitter. In contrast, the total reflected field—comprising the reflected driving field and incoherent scattering—displays perfect antibunching, arising from quantum interference that cancels two-photon probability amplitudes. By spectrally filtering the reflected field, we tune the relative contributions of coherent and incoherent components, observing transitions in photon statistics from antibunching to superbunching, or to Poissonian light. Supported by master-equation simulations and an interference-based model, these results uncover the hidden but fundamental role of multiphoton dynamics in resonance fluorescence, and open avenues for generating nonclassical light in cavity and waveguide quantum electrodynamics.
We study multiphoton blockade and photon-induced tunneling effects in the two-photon Jaynes-Cummings model, where a single-mode cavity field and a two-level atom are coupled via a two-photon interaction. We consider both the cavity-field-driving and the atom-driving cases and find that single-photon blockade and photon-induced tunneling effects can be observed when the cavity mode is driven, while the two-photon blockade effect appears when the atom is driven. For the atom-driving case (the two-photon transition process), we present a criterion of the correlation functions for the multiphoton blockade effect. Specifically, we show that quantum interference can enhance the photon blockade effect in the single-photon cavity-field-driving case. Our results are confirmed by analytically and numerically calculating the correlation function of the cavity-field mode. Our work has potential applications in quantum information processing and paves the way for the study of multiphoton quantum coherent devices.
Resonance fluorescence arises from the coherent interaction of laser light with a two-level system and constitutes a quantum light source exhibiting single-photon emission and antibunching, making it a fundamental building block for future quantum networks. Our recent work [Nat. Commun.16, 6453 (2025)10.1038/s41467-025-61884-x] demonstrates that under continuous-wave excitation and in the absence of pure dephasing, the single-time joint state of resonance fluorescence and the two-level system can be described by a pure entangled state. Here, we analyze the cross-correlation and auto-correlation properties of the quantum optical field generated by the interference of resonance fluorescence with laser light at the resonance excitation frequency. Simulation results indicate that by varying the intensity or phase of the interfering laser light, the higher-order coherence of the post-interference quantum optical field transitions from anti-bunching to super-bunching behavior, consistent with recent theoretical and experimental advances by mean-field engineering. This approach offers a complementary framework to characterize and manipulate the multiphoton quantum optical fields.
We propose an experimentally accessible scheme for realizing tunable nonclassical light in cavity-coupled reconfigurable atomic arrays. By coherently controlling the collective interference phase, the system switches from single-photon blockade to high-purity multiphoton bundle emission, unveiling a hierarchical structure of photon correlations dictated by atom-number parity and cavity detuning. The scaling of photon population identifies the transition between superradiant and subradiant regimes, while parity- and phase-dependent spin correlations elucidate the microscopic interference processes enabling coherent multiphoton generation. This work establishes a unified framework connecting cooperative atomic interactions to controllable nonclassical photon statistics and introduces a distinct interference-enabled mechanism that provides a practical route toward high-fidelity multiphoton sources in scalable cavity QEDs.