2017/04/30 by P. Solano, Pablo Solano, Pablo Barberis-Blostein +7 · 2 citations
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Delocalized electron #Dipole #Electromagnetic field #Field (mathematics) #Measure (data warehouse) #Nanofiber #Photon #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-017-01994-3
published as Nat. Comm. 8, 1857 (2017)
arxiv created 2017/06/29 · openalex created_date 2017/07/14 · openalex publication_date 2017/11/24 · arxiv updated 2017/12/14 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Abstract Atoms interact with each other through the electromagnetic field, creating collective states that can radiate faster or slower than a single atom, i.e., super- and sub-radiance. When the field is confined to one dimension it enables infinite-range atom–atom interactions. Here we present the first report of infinite-range interactions between macroscopically separated atomic dipoles mediated by an optical waveguide. We use cold 87 Rb atoms in the vicinity of a single-mode optical nanofiber (ONF) that coherently exchange evanescently coupled photons through the ONF mode. In particular, we observe super-radiance of a few atoms separated by hundreds of resonant wavelengths. The same platform allows us to measure sub-radiance, a rarely observed effect, presenting a unique tool for quantum optics. This result constitutes a proof of principle for collective behavior of macroscopically delocalized atomic states, a crucial element for new proposals in quantum information and many-body physics.