Super-radiance reveals infinite-range dipole interactions through a nanofiber.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29187739.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-017-01994-3 and PMC identifier 5707363.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
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 <sup>87</sup>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.