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arXiv:2607.12603

Constructing mode-resolved quantum optical models for emitters in photonic crystals

Antonio Morales-Pérez, Iñaki García-Elcano, Chiara Devescovi, Maia G. Vergniory, Aitzol García-Etxarri, Alejandro González-Tudela

quant-phphysics.opticsSubmitted Jul 14, 2026• Announced Jul 15, 2026• 0 citations• Revised Jul 28, 2026 (v2)
v1 · Jul 14, 2026v2 · Jul 28, 2026
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Abstract

Recent advances are enabling quantum emitters to interact with photonic crystals, whose electromagnetic modes exhibit complex dispersion relations, spatial mode structure, and polarization textures. However, modeling light-matter behavior in these systems faces a persistent trade-off: electromagnetic approaches based on Maxwell-equation solvers provide realistic vectorial descriptions but are difficult to integrate with quantum many-body and non-perturbative methods, whereas simplified quantum-optical lattice models are tractable but typically rely on scalar and spatially independent light-matter couplings that miss essential features of these structured photonic environments. Here, we introduce a constructive framework to derive quantum-optical lattice descriptions that overcome this trade-off. Combining symmetry-constrained tight-binding constructions with numerically computed photonic band structures and field profiles, our method yields minimal, symmetry-enforced lattice Hamiltonians that reproduce the target photonic dispersion while retaining the mode-resolved (position- and polarization-dependent) structure of the light-matter coupling. We show that these models recover Green's-function-based emitter dynamics in the perturbative regime, while providing access to non-perturbative quantum dynamical simulations beyond emitter-only descriptions. As a proof of principle, we apply the framework to a two-dimensional photonic crystal and show that it captures polarization-dependent directional emission inaccessible to scalar models, while enabling the analysis of non-Markovian light-matter dynamics and entanglement. Our results provide a practical bridge between classical electromagnetic simulation tools and quantum-optical many-body and non-Markovian modeling in photonic crystal settings.

Comments
21 pages, 4 figures, including appendices. v2: corrected conflation of frequency and angular frequency throughout; figures, parameters, and time scales updated accordingly

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Recent advances are enabling quantum emitters to interact with photonic crystals, whose electromagnetic modes exhibit complex dispersion relations, spatial mode structure, and polarization textures. However, modeling light-matter behavior in these systems faces a persistent trade-off: electromagnetic approaches based on Maxwell-equation solvers provide realistic vectorial descriptions but are difficult to integrate with quantum many-body and non-perturbative methods, whereas simplified quantum-optical lattice models are tractable but typically rely on scalar and spatially independent light-matter couplings that miss essential features of these structured photonic environments. Here, we introduce a constructive framework to derive quantum-optical lattice descriptions that overcome this trade-off. Combining symmetry-constrained tight-binding constructions with numerically computed photonic band structures and field profiles, our method yields minimal, symmetry-enforced lattice Hamiltonians that reproduce the target photonic dispersion while retaining the mode-resolved (position- and polarization-dependent) structure of the light-matter coupling. We show that these models recover Green's-function-based emitter dynamics in the perturbative regime, while providing access to non-perturbative quantum dynamical simulations beyond emitter-only descriptions. As a proof of principle, we apply the framework to a two-dimensional photonic crystal and show that it captures polarization-dependent directional emission inaccessible to scalar models, while enabling the analysis of non-Markovian light-matter dynamics and entanglement. Our results provide a practical bridge between classical electromagnetic simulation tools and quantum-optical many-body and non-Markovian modeling in photonic crystal settings.
The radiation dynamics of a dipole antenna embedded in a photonic crystal are modeled by an initially excited harmonic oscillator coupled to a non-Markovian bath of harmonic oscillators representing the colored electromagnetic vacuum within the crystal. Realistic coupling constants based on the natural modes of the photonic crystal, i.e., Bloch waves and their associated dispersion relation, are derived. For simple model systems, well-known results such as decay times and emission spectra are reproduced. This approach enables direct incorporation of realistic band structure computations into studies of radiative emission from atoms and molecules within photonic crystals. We therefore provide a predictive and interpretative tool for experiments in both the microwave and optical regimes.
This work presents a full-wave Green's function framework for modeling collective and coherent single-photon emission from multiple quantum emitters embedded in complex electromagnetic structures. Starting from a transverse modal completeness relation of modified Langevin noise formalism, we derive a closed set of coupled equations for population dynamics and frequency-resolved field amplitudes in the single-excitation regime. Since the electromagnetic reservoir is not traced out at the level of the dynamical amplitudes, the emitted single-photon dynamics can be modeled within the same closed set of equations without Markovian approximation in open and dissipative environments. We demonstrate that finite-bandwidth truncation of the spectral density leads to systematic deviations in coherent dispersive interactions, even when dissipative rates appear converged. To restore causal consistency, we introduce a counter-term compensation scheme that restores the missing dispersive contributions without modifying the retained non-Markovian memory kernel. To validate the scheme and demonstrate the practicality of the proposed framework, we present numerical examples ranging from benchmark configurations to a three-dimensional dispersive ring-resonator structure via finite element method. These capabilities provide a practical route for rigorously incorporating full-wave electromagnetic simulations into non-Markovian multi-emitter quantum electrodynamics, enabling predictive modeling of collective emission, coherent energy exchange, and single-photon radiation in realistic open structures.
Conventional descriptions of light in materials rely on macroscopic models that average the optical response over the microscopic lattice structures. These models are deployed in the semi-classical limit, where the collective local response over many lattice sites is adequate. However, they fail to capture the full spatial dispersion, which requires a lattice-resolved description of light. We address this limitation by formulating a deep-microscopic nonlocal theory of the photon based on the Maxwell Hamiltonian and its characteristic equation. The solution reveals the full spatial dispersion in the form of deep-microscopic photonic bandstructure, and corresponding real-space Bloch field textures. We demonstrate our theory for a two-dimensional (2D) tight-binding model of a gapped honeycomb lattice. Our framework thus extends photons to the same microscopic footing as electrons or phonons, providing a unified route to studying topology, dissipation, and quantum fluctuations of light in dispersive materials.
While non-Markovian dynamics have been extensively studied in the single-excitation limit to predict non-trivial phenomena, this regime remains an idealization. Moving beyond it is essential, as optical nonlinearities and phase-error accumulation in multi-photon processes render the Markovian approximation fragile. In this work, we present a Green's function-based framework for modeling non-Markovian multi-emitter quantum electrodynamics within the two-excitation manifold. The modified Langevin noise (M-LN) formalism is employed for first-principles treatment of dissipative environments, while the emitter-centered mode (ECM) framework ensures computational tractability. Unlike conventional approaches that integrate out the reservoir, we construct a non-Markovian hierarchy of coupled differential equations by explicitly retaining photonic amplitudes. Within the two-excitation hierarchy, the formulation preserves total probability and retains phase information necessary to capture multi-photon interference. As numerical demonstrations, we investigate non-Markovian atom-field interactions in structured semi-infinite waveguide environments. We first consider a homogeneous waveguide as a baseline, observing enhanced Bell-state fidelity in selected configurations. Next, we examine collective decay of symmetric Dicke states in a waveguide with an embedded lossy dielectric slab, revealing selective stabilization and delayed excitation transfer induced by the structured reservoir. Finally, we analyze entanglement dynamics in the same setting, highlighting entanglement sudden birth and oscillatory revivals. In principle, the framework applies to arbitrary electromagnetic environments for which the dyadic Green's function can be obtained numerically, providing a versatile tool for investigating complex non-Markovian multi-photon phenomena beyond the single-excitation limit.
The spectral structure of a photonic reservoir shapes radiation phenomena for embedded quantum emitters. We implement an all-optical analog to study such an effect, particularly to observe the non-Markovian radiation dynamics of an emitter coupled to two-dimensional structured reservoirs. Its dynamics is simulated by light propagating through a photonic lattice, acting as a reservoir for an adjacent waveguide that mimics a coupled quantum emitter. We study radiation dynamics in square and Lieb lattices under different coupling regimes and observe how the flat band properties of the Lieb lattice significantly enhances light-matter coupling and non-Markovianity. Our platform opens a path for the experimental exploration of single-photon quantum optical phenomena in structured reservoirs to enhance light-matter interactions.
We develop a comprehensive theoretical framework that unifies quantum emission dynamics in one-dimensional Lieb lattices, bridging the gap between ideal flat-band coherence and realistic narrow-band dissipation. By coupling an emitter to sublattices with finite flat-band wavefunction overlap, we activate a collective, size-independent interaction fundamentally distinct from dispersive-band processes. Controllably breaking lattice symmetry transforms the flat band into a narrow dispersive band, enabling a continuous crossover from non-Markovian to Markovian dynamics governed by the competition between coupling strength and engineered bandwidth. Crucially, we derive explicit scaling laws that provide a quantitative blueprint for tuning spontaneous emission from coherent trapping to Markovian decay. Our work provides a unified framework that connects idealized flat-band physics to emerging narrow-band platforms such as moireˊ\rm\acute{e}eˊ photonic crystals, offering a practical toolkit for interpreting experiments and engineering quantum emission in structured photonic environments.