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Physical Review A

Targeted quantum routing of single photons in a giant-atom waveguide-QED system

Yong Wang, Wenan Li, Yuan Chen

Published Apr 18, 2025• 13 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a single-photon routing scheme using a hybrid system, where a two-level giant atom is coupled to a pair of one-dimensional coupled-resonator waveguides. Using the discrete-coordinate scattering approach, exact expressions of the four scattering coefficients are obtained, and the single-photon routing properties are studied. We find that the single-photon routing properties are closely related to the size of the giant atom, the coupling strength between the giant atom and waveguides, and the phase difference between two coupled channels of the atom-upper (lower) waveguide. Without considering the effect of phases of the atom-waveguide coupling coefficients, the probability for a single-photon routing from one waveguide to the other does not exceed $50%$. However, by properly selecting coupling points between the giant atom and two waveguides, and the phase difference between two atom-upper (lower) waveguide coupling coefficients, a single photon can be transferred from the input port to an arbitrarily selected output port deterministically, i.e., with $100%$ probability. It is also found that chiral and nonreciprocal single-photon scattering can be realized in our model by properly adjusting the phase difference between two atom-upper (lower) waveguide coupled channels. Our paper offers a promising route towards achieving tunable single-photon routing and constructing optical scalable quantum networks.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.111.043713

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In this paper, we propose a single-photon routing scheme using a hybrid system, where a two-level giant atom is coupled to a pair of one-dimensional coupled-resonator waveguides. Using the discrete-coordinate scattering approach, exact expressions of the four scattering coefficients are obtained, and the single-photon routing properties are studied. We find that the single-photon routing properties are closely related to the size of the giant atom, the coupling strength between the giant atom and waveguides, and the phase difference between two coupled channels of the atom-upper (lower) waveguide. Without considering the effect of phases of the atom-waveguide coupling coefficients, the probability for a single-photon routing from one waveguide to the other does not exceed 5050%50. However, by properly selecting coupling points between the giant atom and two waveguides, and the phase difference between two atom-upper (lower) waveguide coupling coefficients, a single photon can be transferred from the input port to an arbitrarily selected output port deterministically, i.e., with 100100%100 probability. It is also found that chiral and nonreciprocal single-photon scattering can be realized in our model by properly adjusting the phase difference between two atom-upper (lower) waveguide coupled channels. Our paper offers a promising route towards achieving tunable single-photon routing and constructing optical scalable quantum networks.
Abstract We investigate a T -shaped single-photon router constructed by two waveguides connected via a giant Λ-type three-level atom. Under a real-space approach, the analytical expressions of the single-photon transmission and reflection amplitudes are obtained. It is shown that a high transfer-rate routing between two waveguides can be effectively achieved by modulating the phase difference, the accumulated phase and the atom-waveguide coupling strengths, and its frequencies can be tuned with a classical driving field. Interestingly, chiral scattering and a single-photon targeted router with direction selectivity have been realized by the ideally equivalent atom-waveguide interaction. We believe that our results have potential applications in constructing optical quantum devices and designing the single-photon quantum routing using the giant-atom setup.
We propose a frequency-controllable single-photon router in a giant atom waveguide QED system, in which two linear waveguides are mediately by two coupled giant atoms. Since each giant atom has two coupling points, a pair of giant atoms can be arranged as three different topologies: separated, braided, and nested. The exact analytical expressions of the four scattering amplitudes for the three different topologies are obtained with the real-space approach. We find that the deterministic routing scheme is strongly relevant to the energy and the decay rates of the collective states of the two coupled giant atoms. In particular, only if the two scattering states degenerate in energy and decay rates, the frequency-tunable router with 100% efficiency can be achieved in the three different topologies. Moreover, our numerical results show that the single-photon routing scheme in the current model is more tunable and robust than that in the normal atom waveguide QED system. The physics behind the complete routing scheme is also illuminated. Our results pave the way for the study of controllable single-photon router devices involving giant atoms.
We investigate the single-photon quantum routing composed of two infinite waveguides coupled to two giant two-level atoms. The exact expressions of the single-photon transmission and reflection amplitudes are derived with the real-space approach. It is found that the single photon scattering behavior is strongly dependent on the phase difference between the two adjacent atom-waveguide coupling points, the frequency detuning, the coupling strength between the two giant atoms, and the interaction strengths between the giant atoms and the waveguides. Our studies show that an ideal single photon router with unit efficiency can be realised by designing the size of the giant atom, and the frequency detuning or adjusting the interaction strengths between the atoms and the waveguides. The results suggest the potential to effectively control the single-photon quantum routing based on the giant-atom setup.
Abstract We investigate the single-photon scattering properties of a driven three-level giant atom chirally coupled to two waveguides simultaneously in both the Markovian and the non-Markovian regimes. It is shown that under the Markovian limit, the chiral photon-atom interactions enable nonreciprocal scattering in a single waveguide and targeted photon routing with a probability of 100% in two waveguides, while the presence of the driving field and the giant atom structure introduce a more tunable parameter to manipulate the single-photon scattering behaviors. We also examine how the non-reciprocity and routing capability are influenced by the imperfect chirality and the atomic dissipation. In the non-Markovian regime, we show that the scattering behaviors are more complicated. The non-Markovicity induced non-reciprocity and photon routing are demonstrated in this paper. We believe that those results have potential applications in quantum network engineering.
This work is to investigate the single-photon scattering in a waveguide quantum electrodynamics system consisting of two dipole-coupled giant atoms, each interacting with a separate one-dimensional infinite waveguide at two distinct coupling points. Our primary objective is to establish a theoretical framework for manipulating photon propagation paths via quantum interference induced by multiple coupling points and local phase engineering. Unlike traditional chiral coupling schemes, an innovative method, in which the coupling phases are designed locally at each atom-waveguide interface, is used to achieve effective chiral coupling, thereby introducing novel quantum interference mechanisms. Using a real-space approach, we derive analytical expressions for four-port scattering amplitudes. We establish the conditions for achieving perfect directional routing to any output port and demonstrate the coherent control mechanisms implemented by geometric and local coupled phases. Continuous frequency tunability is primarily achieved through dipole-dipole interaction, and finely tuned through the accumulated phase and local coupling phases. Local phase differences precisely regulate port-specific probability distributions within the waveguides while preserving total routing efficiency. Furthermore, we elucidate the mechanisms of nonreciprocal transport and chiral scattering. The analysis reveals different governing principles: perfect nonreciprocity arises from the interplay of the accumulated phase, local coupling phases, photon-atom detuning, and dipole-dipole interaction. In contrast, perfect chiral scattering depends entirely on the accumulated phase and local coupling phases, and is independent of detuning. Notably, under the phase-matching conditions, the system achieves both perfect chiral and directional routing, and realizes frequency-selective path-asymmetric photon control. These findings provide a comprehensive framework for manipulating quantum interference in multi-atom waveguide systems, highlighting applications in quantum information processing, including tunable single-photon routers, isolators, and chiral quantum nodes. By implementing superconducting circuits, the local phase can be dynamically adjusted, thus proving the feasibility of the experiment.
We investigate the single-photon scattering spectra in a giant-molecule waveguide quantum electrodynamics system, where a giant molecule consisting of two coupled giant atoms is connected to two waveguides via two separate sites, respectively. The phases of coupling strengths between the giant molecule and waveguides are considered. Using a real-space method, we obtain the exact analytical expressions for the single-photon scattering coefficients, which are valid both in the Markovian and non-Markovian regimes. It is shown that the transmission spectra strongly depend on phases, including the phases accumulated by photons traveling between coupling points and the phase difference between two coupled channels of the giant-molecule upper (lower) waveguide. Under the Markovian limit, we find that by selecting appropriate accumulated phases and local phase difference, targeted routing and asymmetrical scattering of photons can be achieved without breaking the symmetry in the coupling configuration between the giant molecule and waveguides. Moreover, all the optimal phase combinations for implementing single-photon routing have been summarized. In the non-Markovian regime, the scattering spectra show more complicated line shapes with multiple staggered peaks and dips. More interestingly, the scattering spectrum exhibits periodic changes during the transition from the Markovian to the non-Markovian regime, which makes one obtain a means to control photon routing in addition to phases. Our results may be useful in controlling and manipulating light-matter interactions involving giant atoms at the single-photon level.