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

Physical Review A

Analytic solution for retardation in two-atom systems

Ho Trung Dung, Kikuo Ujihara

Published Mar 1, 1999• 25 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The spontaneous emission of a pair of two identical and fixed two-level atoms, sharing initially a single excitation, is considered. It is shown that the solution which involves all the retardation times obtained by Milonni and Knight [Phys. Rev. A 10, 1096 (1974)] is also valid for interatomic distances less than half of a transition wavelength. The effects of the interatomic distance on the time evolution of the atomic state populations are examined.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.59.2524

Related papers

Retardation in the resonant interaction of two identical atoms

Peter W. Milonni, P. L. Knight

The problem considered is that of two identical two-level atoms a fixed distance $r$ apart, one of which is excited at $t=0$. A simple improvement on the usual on-shell approximation (which in the single-atom case is part of the Weisskopf-Wigner approximation) yields new solutions for the various probability amplitudes in the form of infinite series involving all the retardation times $\frac{\mathrm{nr}}{c}$. The truncated solutions involving only the single retardation time $\frac{r}{c}$ are compared with previously published results both when all photon modes are allowed and when only photons propagating along the interatomic axis are allowed. When the retardation times are neglected, the series are summed to give the well-known results of Stephen and others.

Physical Review A•Oct 1, 1974•342 citations

Two-atom spontaneous emission in a planar microcavity

Kikuo Ujihara, Ho Trung Dung

Spontaneous emission in a planar microcavity by two identical and spatially separated two-level atoms, both of them initially excited, is considered under fourth-order perturbation approximation in atom-field coupling constants. A delay-differential equation with proper retardation times for the probability of both atoms in the upper state is derived and expressions for the emitted-light intensity and spectrum are given. It is numerically shown that, while two-atom cooperation is enhanced for small interatomic distances, the two-atom vacuum Rabi oscillation is somewhat suppressed compared to the single-atom oscillation level when the interatomic separation is close to the cavity transverse coherence length.

Physical Review A•Nov 14, 2002•8 citations

Interference effects in the spontaneous emission from two initially excited atoms

H. Zhao, Kikuo Ujihara

Second-order interference effects in the spontaneous emission by two identical two-level atoms, separated a distance apart and both initially excited, are considered. On the basis of the analysis in our previous paper published in 2004, within fourth-order perturbation, detailed analysis of the second-order quantum interference in the emitted field is made. The interference arises both from single-photon states and two-photon states owing to interferences between different decaying sequences. By detailed analysis we have found some cancellations between single-photon and two-photon interference terms, and an interpretation of this is given. The contributions from the single- and the two-photon states as well as the total interference are analysed numerically for various interatomic distances and times. The contribution from a two-photon state is mostly larger than that from a single-photon state except when the atomic electric dipole is large, in which case the two contributions can be comparable. It is shown that the emission patterns from the two interacting atoms provide more information on atom–atom correlations than the decay time evolution of the atomic states population does. The number of interference fringes and the distance between them depend on the interatomic distance in a similar fashion to Young's interference fringes.

Journal of Modern Optics•Feb 21, 2006•2 citations

Spontaneous Emission by a System of Identical Atoms

Demosthenes Dialetis

The spontaneous emission of a set of $N$ identical two-level atoms interacting with a quantized electromagnetic field is studied. The atoms are assumed to be close together compared to the mean wavelength of the emitted radiation, and their initial state is either a Dicke state or a superposition of the ground and excited state for each atom. Approximate expressions are obtained for transition probabilities, expectation values, and correlations as functions of time. The spontaneous emission for a very large separation of the atoms is also studied. In this case the directional properties of the emitted radiation, as well as the time within which the atoms decay to their ground state, depend on the position of each atom.

Physical Review A•Sep 1, 1970•42 citations

Cooperative Effects in the Spontaneous Emission from Two Non-identical Atoms

Spontaneous emission from two non-identical two-level atoms is examined from the viewpoint of quantum beats and super-radiant effects. Our analytical solution, illustrated graphically, shows that the total radiation rate exhibits temporal sinusoidal modulation (beats). The beats result from the fact that the atoms have different transition frequencies and different natural linewidths. For small interatomic separations, the total radiation rate is greater than its initial value. This ‘super-radiant’ property is absent in the case of noninteracting atoms, as well as for two identical atoms. In the case when the atoms are separated by distances much smaller than the resonant wavelength, the population trapping effect can take place in such a system.

Optica Acta International Journal of Optics•Sep 1, 1986•35 citations

Spontaneous emission by two atoms with different resonance frequencies

Maurice T. Raiford

This paer is concerned with the spontaneous-emision rate of two two-level atoms which have different resonance frequencies and whose spatial separation is much smaller than the corresponding mean resonance wavelength. The total radiation rate of such an atom pair is calculated completely quantum mechanically as a function of time. Explicit results are given for various values of the frequeny difference and the following initial states of the atomic system: (a) both atoms in the excited state, (b) one taom in the excited state the other in the ground state, (c) a symmetric combination of those states, (d) an antisymmetric combination of those states, and product states where each atom is in an equal superposition of its ground and excited states, for which the expectation values of the dipole moments are nonzero and may be considered to be osicillating (e) in phase, (f) in opposite phae, and (g) in random phase. Oscillations are found to appear in the radiation rate in all cases when the frequency difference becomes larger than a certain critical value, viz., the mean half-width of the atomic resonance lines. The oscillations are especially pronounced for the initial atomic states (c), (d), (e), and (f), which exhibit superradiance and radiation trapping. For example, for atoms in the antisymmetric state (d), for which the radiation from two identical atoms is zero (completely self-trapped), a pair of nonidentical atoms begins radiating and even oscillates into the superradiant region at times.

Physical Review A•Mar 1, 1974•11 citations
The spontaneous emission of a pair of two identical and fixed two-level atoms, sharing initially a single excitation, is considered. It is shown that the solution which involves all the retardation times obtained by Milonni and Knight [Phys. Rev. A 10, 1096 (1974)] is also valid for interatomic distances less than half of a transition wavelength. The effects of the interatomic distance on the time evolution of the atomic state populations are examined.
The problem considered is that of two identical two-level atoms a fixed distance rrr apart, one of which is excited at t=0t=0t=0. A simple improvement on the usual on-shell approximation (which in the single-atom case is part of the Weisskopf-Wigner approximation) yields new solutions for the various probability amplitudes in the form of infinite series involving all the retardation times nrc\frac{\mathrm{nr}}{c}cnr​. The truncated solutions involving only the single retardation time rc\frac{r}{c}cr​ are compared with previously published results both when all photon modes are allowed and when only photons propagating along the interatomic axis are allowed. When the retardation times are neglected, the series are summed to give the well-known results of Stephen and others.
Spontaneous emission in a planar microcavity by two identical and spatially separated two-level atoms, both of them initially excited, is considered under fourth-order perturbation approximation in atom-field coupling constants. A delay-differential equation with proper retardation times for the probability of both atoms in the upper state is derived and expressions for the emitted-light intensity and spectrum are given. It is numerically shown that, while two-atom cooperation is enhanced for small interatomic distances, the two-atom vacuum Rabi oscillation is somewhat suppressed compared to the single-atom oscillation level when the interatomic separation is close to the cavity transverse coherence length.
Second-order interference effects in the spontaneous emission by two identical two-level atoms, separated a distance apart and both initially excited, are considered. On the basis of the analysis in our previous paper published in 2004, within fourth-order perturbation, detailed analysis of the second-order quantum interference in the emitted field is made. The interference arises both from single-photon states and two-photon states owing to interferences between different decaying sequences. By detailed analysis we have found some cancellations between single-photon and two-photon interference terms, and an interpretation of this is given. The contributions from the single- and the two-photon states as well as the total interference are analysed numerically for various interatomic distances and times. The contribution from a two-photon state is mostly larger than that from a single-photon state except when the atomic electric dipole is large, in which case the two contributions can be comparable. It is shown that the emission patterns from the two interacting atoms provide more information on atom–atom correlations than the decay time evolution of the atomic states population does. The number of interference fringes and the distance between them depend on the interatomic distance in a similar fashion to Young's interference fringes.
The spontaneous emission of a set of NNN identical two-level atoms interacting with a quantized electromagnetic field is studied. The atoms are assumed to be close together compared to the mean wavelength of the emitted radiation, and their initial state is either a Dicke state or a superposition of the ground and excited state for each atom. Approximate expressions are obtained for transition probabilities, expectation values, and correlations as functions of time. The spontaneous emission for a very large separation of the atoms is also studied. In this case the directional properties of the emitted radiation, as well as the time within which the atoms decay to their ground state, depend on the position of each atom.
Spontaneous emission from two non-identical two-level atoms is examined from the viewpoint of quantum beats and super-radiant effects. Our analytical solution, illustrated graphically, shows that the total radiation rate exhibits temporal sinusoidal modulation (beats). The beats result from the fact that the atoms have different transition frequencies and different natural linewidths. For small interatomic separations, the total radiation rate is greater than its initial value. This ‘super-radiant’ property is absent in the case of noninteracting atoms, as well as for two identical atoms. In the case when the atoms are separated by distances much smaller than the resonant wavelength, the population trapping effect can take place in such a system.
This paer is concerned with the spontaneous-emision rate of two two-level atoms which have different resonance frequencies and whose spatial separation is much smaller than the corresponding mean resonance wavelength. The total radiation rate of such an atom pair is calculated completely quantum mechanically as a function of time. Explicit results are given for various values of the frequeny difference and the following initial states of the atomic system: (a) both atoms in the excited state, (b) one taom in the excited state the other in the ground state, (c) a symmetric combination of those states, (d) an antisymmetric combination of those states, and product states where each atom is in an equal superposition of its ground and excited states, for which the expectation values of the dipole moments are nonzero and may be considered to be osicillating (e) in phase, (f) in opposite phae, and (g) in random phase. Oscillations are found to appear in the radiation rate in all cases when the frequency difference becomes larger than a certain critical value, viz., the mean half-width of the atomic resonance lines. The oscillations are especially pronounced for the initial atomic states (c), (d), (e), and (f), which exhibit superradiance and radiation trapping. For example, for atoms in the antisymmetric state (d), for which the radiation from two identical atoms is zero (completely self-trapped), a pair of nonidentical atoms begins radiating and even oscillates into the superradiant region at times.