Nonlinear Dynamics of the Photonic Spin Hall Effect in Rydberg Atoms
Muqaddar Abbas, Wenzhang Liu, Pei Zhang +1 more
Abstract The photonic spin Hall effect (SHE) is explored in a highly tunable Rydberg‐based atomic system by leveraging the distinctive properties of Rydberg superatoms. These superatoms arise from strong dipole–dipole interactions and extended radiative lifetimes, resulting in collective excitations governed by the dipole blockade mechanism. An ensemble of three‐level atoms in a cascade configuration models a medium in which each superatom acts as a coherent quantum entity. The photonic SHE shows strong dependence on the probe field Rabi frequency and atomic number density. At high Rabi frequencies, the blockade effect suppresses the photonic SHE, confining its occurrence to specific resonant conditions. In contrast, under weak probe excitation, the blockade influence diminishes, enabling an amplified photonic SHE response at resonant detuning due to increased light‐matter interaction sensitivity. Reducing atomic number density further broadens the detuning range over which the photonic SHE occurs, indicating a transition toward a more sensitive, less resonance‐constrained optical behavior. The effect of van der Waals interactions on the photonic SHE shift is also characterized. This expanded operational bandwidth demonstrates the potential of Rydberg‐based systems for robust spin‐optical control, particularly in scenarios where precise stabilization of the probe field frequency is experimentally challenging.
Annalen der Physik•Aug 30, 2025•1 citation