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One Photon Can Simultaneously Excite Two or More Atoms

Luigi Garziano, Vincenzo Macrì, Roberto Stassi, Omar Di Stefano, Franco Nori, and Salvatore Savasta
Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 043601 – Published 22 July 2016
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Abstract

We consider two separate atoms interacting with a single-mode optical or microwave resonator. When the frequency of the resonator field is twice the atomic transition frequency, we show that there exists a resonant coupling between one photon and two atoms, via intermediate virtual states connected by counterrotating processes. If the resonator is prepared in its one-photon state, the photon can be jointly absorbed by the two atoms in their ground state which will both reach their excited state with a probability close to one. Like ordinary quantum Rabi oscillations, this process is coherent and reversible, so that two atoms in their excited state will undergo a downward transition jointly emitting a single cavity photon. This joint absorption and emission process can also occur with three atoms. The parameters used to investigate this process correspond to experimentally demonstrated values in circuit quantum electrodynamics systems.

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  • Received 25 January 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.043601

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

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Two Atoms Can Jointly Absorb One Photon

Published 22 July 2016

Theorists show that two atoms in an optical cavity can absorb the same photon.

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Authors & Affiliations

Luigi Garziano1,2, Vincenzo Macrì1, Roberto Stassi1,2, Omar Di Stefano1, Franco Nori2,3, and Salvatore Savasta1,2

  • 1Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra (MIFT), Università di Messina, I-98166 Messina, Italy
  • 2CEMS, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
  • 3Physics Department, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040, USA

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Issue

Vol. 117, Iss. 4 — 22 July 2016

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