Erwin Schrödinger Center for Quantum Science & Technology (ESQ)

Exploiting Cooperative Light Scattering in Atomic Arrays

The ability to control the interactions between light and atoms, or other quantum emitters, forms a cornerstone for fundamental physics and applications, ranging from precision measurement to quantum information processing. Photon loss — re-scattering of a photon into unwanted directions — represents a fundamental limitation in all these tasks. In typical atomic ensemble models the atoms are assumed to emit independently and in an uncorrelated fashion. This paradigm however, is expected to break down for dense and ordered atomic arrays, where interference between the emitted photons becomes relevant, and it can give rise to exciting phenomena such as the well known super-radiance and sub-radiance, for which the collective photon emission is strongly modified. 

In this project we aim at understanding and exploiting new effects when including in an exact way interference and re-scattering of photons while propagating through the atoms. In particular, we are interested in investigating whether correlated dissipation can lead to more robust applications such as two q-bit quantum gates, lattice clocks, magnetometry, or spin squeezing. We are also interested in exploring a broader applicability of our model, as for instance, in superconducting q-bits or light harvesting complexes.

Mariona Moreno-Cardoner moved on to become Lecturer at the University of Barcelona