Quantum phase transition and exceptional points of a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian for cold atoms in a dissipative optical cavity with nonlinear atom-photon interactions
We investigate in this paper the macroscopic quantum states of multiple atoms in an optical cavity with non-Hermitian coupling motivated by recent experiments. The tunable atom-photon nonlinear interaction is included to demonstrate the variety of quantum phases in the realistic realization of Dicke phase transition with cold atoms. The energies of macroscopic quantum states are obtained in terms of the spin-coherent-state variational method, in which the nonunitary operator of the similarity transformation is used to diagonalize the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, which is pseudo-Hermitian below the exceptional point (EP). The superradiant phase (SP) and related quantum phase transition (QPT) disappear completely for the non-Hermitian Dicke model (DM) because of imaginary coupling, which leads to instability of states with nonzero photons. The situation is dramatically changed by including the nonlinear atom-photon interaction generated by the pump field. It is found that the second EP emerges at a higher value of coupling. The spectrum is complex between the two EPs and real otherwise. Phase diagrams are obtained for red and blue cavity pump field detunings, showing explicitly the revival of the SP and QPT, respectively. However, the QPT from the SP to the normal phase with the increase of coupling is opposite to the transition in the normal DM. The critical property of the Berry phase indicates the first-order nature of the QPT, which again is different from the DM, where the QPT is known as the second order.
We investigate in this paper the macroscopic quantum states of multiple atoms in an optical cavity with non-Hermitian coupling motivated by recent experiments. The tunable atom-photon nonlinear interaction is included to demonstrate the variety of quantum phases in the realistic realization of Dicke phase transition with cold atoms. The energies of macroscopic quantum states are obtained in terms of the spin-coherent-state variational method, in which the nonunitary operator of the similarity transformation is used to diagonalize the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, which is pseudo-Hermitian below the exceptional point (EP). The superradiant phase (SP) and related quantum phase transition (QPT) disappear completely for the non-Hermitian Dicke model (DM) because of imaginary coupling, which leads to instability of states with nonzero photons. The situation is dramatically changed by including the nonlinear atom-photon interaction generated by the pump field. It is found that the second EP emerges at a higher value of coupling. The spectrum is complex between the two EPs and real otherwise. Phase diagrams are obtained for red and blue cavity pump field detunings, showing explicitly the revival of the SP and QPT, respectively. However, the QPT from the SP to the normal phase with the increase of coupling is opposite to the transition in the normal DM. The critical property of the Berry phase indicates the first-order nature of the QPT, which again is different from the DM, where the QPT is known as the second order.
Dicke model, as an important many-body model in quantum optics, describes the interaction between multiple identical two-level atoms and a quantized electromagnetic field. This spin-boson model shows collective phenomena in light-matter interaction systems and can undergo a second-order quantum phase transition from a normal phase to a superradiant phase when the coupling strength between the two-level atoms and the optical field exceeds a critical value. Dicke model embodies unique many-body quantum theories. And it has been widely studied and obtained many significant research results in quantum information, quantum process, and other quantum systems. Meanwhile, Dicke model also has wide applications in quantum optics and condensed matter physics. The extended Dicke model, describing the interaction of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical cavity, provides a remarkable platform for studying extraordinary quantum phase transitions in theory and experiment. Based on the recent experiment on non-Hermitian coupling between two long-lived atomic spin waves in an optical cavity, in this work we use spin-coherent-state variational method and present the macroscopic quantum-state energy of the non-Hermitian Dicke model. The spin coherent state variational method has an advantage in the theoretical research of macroscopic quantum states, especially in the normal and the inverted pseudospin states. In the variational method, optical coherent states and atomic extremum spin coherent states are used as the trial wave functions. A Hermitian transformation operator is proposed to diagonalize the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, which is different from the ordinary quantum mechanics where the transformation operator must be unitary. Herein, the energy function is not necessarily real in the entire coupling region. Beyond an exceptional point, the spectrum becomes complex and introducing biorthogonal sets of atomic extremum states is necessary to evaluate the average quantities. The normal phase (for the zero average photon number) possesses real energy and atomic population. The non-Hermitian interaction destroys the superradiant phase (for the stable nonzero average photon number) and leads to the absence of quantum phase transition. However, the introduced atom-photon interaction, which is induced by the pump field experimentally, can change the situation, dramatically. The pump field can balance the loss by the non-Hermitian atom-photon interaction to achieve the superradiant phase. An interesting double exceptional point are observed in the energy functional. There is the real spectrum below the first exceptional point and beyond the second exceptional point, while there is a complex spectrum between these two exceptional points. The superradiant phase appears only beyond a critical value, which is related to the nonlinear interaction and the pump laser. A new and inverted quantum phase transition from the superradiant phase to the normal phase, is observed by modulating the atom-field coupling strength. The superradiant phase of the population inversion state appears for a negative effective frequency and a large atom-photon interaction. The influence of the dissipative coupling may be observed in cold atom experiment in an optical cavity. All the parameters adopted in this work are the actual experimental parameters.
Macroscopic quantum states, quantum phase transition for N three-level atoms in an optical cavity -- Gauge principle and non-Hermitian Hamiltonian
We study in this paper the quantum phase transition (QPT) from normal phase (NP) to superradiant phase (SP) for N three-level atoms in a single-mode optical cavity for both Hermitian and non Hermitian Hamiltonians, where the Ξ-type three-level atom is described by spin-1 pseudo-spin operators. The long standing gauge-choice ambiguity of A⋅p and d⋅E called respectively the Coulomb and dipole gauges is resolved by the time-dependent gauge transformation on the Schrödinger equation. Both A⋅p and d⋅E interactions are included in the unified gauge, which is truly gauge equivalent to the minimum coupling principle. The Coulomb and dipole interactions are just the special cases of unified gauge. Remarkably three interactions lead to the same results under the resonant condition of field-atom frequencies, while significant difference appears in red and blue detunings. The QPT is analyzed in terms of spin coherent-state variational method, which indicates the abrupt changes of energy spectrum, average photon number as well as the atomic population at the critical point of interaction constant. Crucially, we reveal the sensitive dependence on the initial optical-phase, which is particularly useful to test the validity of three gauges experimentally. The non-Hermitian atom-field interaction results in the exceptional point (EP), beyond which the semiclassical energy function becomes complex. However the energy spectrum of variational ground state is real in the absence of EP, and does not become complex. The superradiant state is unstable due to the non-Hermitian interaction induced photon-number loss. Thus only the NP exists in the non-Hermitian Dicke Model Hamiltonian.
We in this paper study the macroscopic quantum states of a P T -symmetric Non-Hermitian Hamiltonian for N quantum-dots of two imaginary-levels in an optical cavity. The eigenstate energies are obtained in terms of spin-coherent-state variational method, in which P T -symmetric but non-unitary operator is used to diagonalize the effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. Biorthogonal sets of the trial wave functions necessarily appear as a consequence of non-Hermitian Hamiltonian. In the normal phase of zero photon-number average energies are imaginary called the P T -symmetry broken state, while the atomic population is real showing the unstable nature of the system. The energy of superradiant phase (SP) is real called unbroken symmetry state, however the atomic population is pure imaginary. The electrons in SP oscillate between upper and lower levels stimulated by the cavity field. The quantum phase transition from broken to unbroken symmetry states occurs at critical values of the atom-field coupling and nonlinear atom-photon interaction.
In this paper we explore the rich structure of macroscopic many-particle quantum states for a Bose-Einstein condensate in an optical cavity with a tunable nonlinear atom-photon interaction [K. Baumann et al., Nature (London) 464, 1301 (2010)]. Population inversion, bistable normal phases, and the coexistence of normal-superradiant phases are revealed by adjusting the experimentally realizable interaction strength and pump-laser frequency. For the negative (effective) cavity frequency we observe, remarkably, an inverted quantum phase transition (QPT) from the superradiant to the normal phases with an increase in atom-field coupling, which is just opposite the QPT in the normal Dicke model. Bistable macroscopic states are derived analytically in terms of the spin-coherent-state variational method by taking into account both normal and inverted pseudospin states.
Quantum phase transition is an important subject in the field of quantum optics and condensed matter physics. In this work, we study the quantum phase transition of the two-mode Dicke model by using the nonlinear atom-light interaction introduced into the interaction between one mode light field and atom. The spin coherent variational method is used to study macroscopic multi-particle quantum systems. Firstly, the pseudo spin operator is diagonalized to obtain the variational fundamental state energy functional by means of spin coherent state transformation under the condition of coherent state light field. The energy functional is used to find the extreme value of the classical field variable, and the second derivative is determined to find the minimum value, and finally the exact solution of the ground state energy is given. Four different proportional relationships are used to study the two-mode optical field, and the rich structure of macroscopic multi-particle quantum states is given by adjusting atom-optical nonlinear interaction parameters under the experimental parameters. The abundant ground state properties such as bistable normal phase, coexisting normal-superradiation and atomic population inversion under blue and red detuning are presented. The nonlinear atom-light interaction causes blue detuning, and there is also a second-order quantum phase transition from the normal phase to the superradiation phase in the standard two-mode Dicke model. In the case of red detuning, a novel and stable reversed superradiation phase also appears. With the increase of the coupling coefficient, the reversed superradiation phase is transformed into the reversed normal phase. The nonlinear interaction between atoms and light and the different ratio of two modes of light field have great influence on the phase boundary of quantum phase transition, and the region of quantum state, as shown in Fig. (a)–(d). When the nonlinear interaction takes two definite values, the curve of the ground state physical parameters changing with the coupling parameters of atoms and light also reflects the novel second-order inverse quantum phase transition from the reversed superradiation phase to the reversed normal phase in red detuning, as shown in Fig. (a1)–(d3).
Abstract We study in this paper the quantum phase transition (QPT) from normal phase (NP) to superradiant phase (SP) for N three-level atoms in a single-mode optical cavity for both Hermitian and non-Hermitian Hamiltonians, where the Ξ-type three-level atom is described by spin-1 pseudo-spin operators. The long standing gauge-choice ambiguity of A⋅p and d⋅E called respectively the Coulomb and dipole gauges is reconciled by the time-dependent gauge transformation on the Schrödinger equation. Both A⋅p and d⋅E interactions are included in the unified gauge, which is truly gauge equivalent to the minimum coupling principle. The Coulomb and dipole interactions are just the special cases of unified gauge. Remarkably three interactions lead to the same results under the resonant condition of field-atom frequencies, while significant difference appears in red and blue detunings. The QPT is analyzed in terms of spin-coherentstate variational method, which indicates the abrupt changes of energy spectrum, average photon number as well as the atomic population at the critical point of interaction constant. Crucially, we reveal the sensitive dependence on the initial optical-phase, which is particularly useful to test the validity of three gauges experimentally. The non-Hermitian atom-field interaction results in the exceptional point (EP), beyond which the semiclassical energy function becomes complex. However the energy spectrum of variational ground state is real in the absence of EP, and does not become complex. The superradiant state is unstable due to the non-Hermitian interaction induced photon-number loss. Thus only the NP exists in the nonHermitian Dicke Model Hamiltonian.