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Frontiers in Optics

Single-photon scattering in waveguide QED: two small atoms vs. a single giant atom problem

Glenn Ochsner, Nishan Amgain, Imran M. Mirza

Published Jan 1, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report how self-interference from a single giant atom impacts the transport properties of a single photon as compared to that of two small atoms coupled with the same waveguide quantum electrodynamics (QED) setup.
DOI
10.1364/fio.2025.jw4a.14

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The giant-atom topological-waveguide-QED systems have recently emerged as a promising platform for manipulating light-matter interactions. The combination of the multiple-point couplings and topological phase effect could lead to rich physical phenomena and effects. Here, we study single-photon scattering in a Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) waveguide coupled to either one or two two-level giant atoms. We assume that each giant atom is coupled to the waveguide via two coupling points and hence there exist four and sixteen coupling configurations for the single-giant-atom case and two-giant-atom separate coupling case, respectively. By solving the single-photon scattering problem in the real space, we obtain the exact expressions of the single-photon scattering amplitudes. It is found that a single photon in the SSH waveguide can be completely reflected or transmitted by choosing proper coupling configurations, coupling-point distances, atomic resonance frequency, and dimerization parameter. In addition, under proper parameter conditions, the scattering spectra are periodically modulated by the coupling-point distances. We also find that the collective behavior of the two giant atoms can be adjusted by quantum interference effect and topological effect and that the single-photon scattering spectra can exhibit the Lorentzian, super-Gaussian, electromagnetically induced transparencylike, and asymmetric Fano line shapes for some coupling configurations. This work will inspire the development of controllable single-photon devices based on the giant-atom topological-waveguide-QED systems.
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Abstract The giant atom, which means the nonlocal atom-waveguide coupling, gives lots of newfangled physics. In this paper, we study the single- and two-photon scattering in the waveguide quantum electrodynamics on a two-level giant atom. For single-photon scattering, we find that the transmission rate is dependent on the atomic size. For the two-photon scattering, using a reasonable wave function hypothesis, we can get the two-photon scattering state, which consists of the symmetric and anti-symmetric plane wave functions. The other eigenstate is the two-photon bound state, which is orthogonal to the two-photon scattering state. We find that the spatial extent of the two-photon bound state is related to the detuning between waveguide and atom, which is distinguished from the character of the general atom. Our study is beneficial to photon control and the fundamental research of the two-photon scattering.
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Describing systems of superconducting atoms coupled to a continuum of photonic modes at multiple separated locations in a waveguide, waveguide quantum electrodynamics (QED) with giant atoms has emerged as a promising platform for realizing quantum interconnect. Such systems have been reported to exhibit rich phenomena that differ from those of natural atoms. Going beyond the widely used Born-Markov and Wigner-Weisskopf approximations, we investigate the non-Markovian dynamics of one and two giant atoms interacting with a waveguide formed by an array of coupled resonators. We discover that the diverse dynamical behaviors of the giant atoms are intrinsically determined by the energy spectrum of the composite system consisting of the giant atoms and the photonic modes in the waveguide. As long as one and more bound states are present in the energy spectrum, their excited-state probabilities, respectively, tend to stable finite values and lossless Rabi-like oscillations with frequencies proportional to the differences of the bound-state eigenenergies. Our result provides an insightful guideline for suppressing the decoherence of giant atoms and facilitates the development of quantum interconnect devices using giant-atom waveguide QED.