Hybrid Sub- and Superradiant States in Emitter Arrays with Quantized Motion
Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 243602 – Published 16 June, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/q2kj-w3lf
Abstract
Ensembles of dipolar emitters which couple collectively to the radiation field display sub- and superradiance. These terms refer to a reduction or an enhancement of photon emission rates due to the interference of emission channels. Arrays of trapped neutral atoms constitute a promising platform for harnessing this phenomenon in technological applications, e.g., for excitation storage, single-photon switches, and mirrors. However, quantum and thermally induced vibrations of the atoms within their traps lead to position fluctuations that entangle the motion and the internal atomic degrees of freedom. We develop here a theory for collective atom-light coupling in the presence of this quantized motion within the Lamb-Dicke limit. We show the existence of sub- and superradiant states that are hybrids of electronic and vibrational excitations, investigate their properties for analytically and numerically efficiently solvable cases, and discuss how a finite temperature affects the collective photon emission.
