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Single Photons by Quenching the Vacuum

E. Sánchez-Burillo, L. Martín-Moreno, J. J. García-Ripoll, and D. Zueco
Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 013601 – Published 1 July 2019
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Abstract
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Article Text
  • Introduction.—
  • Model.—
  • Theoretical tools.—
  • Spectrum of the spin-boson model.—
  • Emission by quenching the vacuum.—
  • Conclusions.—
  • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    • Supplemental Material
    References

    Abstract

    Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle implies that the quantum vacuum is not empty but fluctuates. These fluctuations can be converted into radiation through nonadiabatic changes in the Hamiltonian. Here, we discuss how to control this vacuum radiation, engineering a single-photon emitter out of a two-level system (2LS) ultrastrongly coupled to a finite-band waveguide in a vacuum state. More precisely, we show the 2LS nonlinearity shapes the vacuum radiation into a non-Gaussian superposition of even and odd cat states. When the 2LS bare frequency lays within the band gaps, this emission can be well approximated by individual photons. This picture is confirmed by a characterization of the ground and bound states, and a study of the dynamics with matrix-product states and polaron Hamiltonian methods.

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    • Received 9 November 2018

    DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.013601

    © 2019 American Physical Society

    Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

    1. Research Areas
    Casimir effect & related phenomenaLight-matter interactionQuantum fluctuations & noiseQuantum opticsQuantum state engineeringSingle photon sources
    Quantum Information, Science & TechnologyAtomic, Molecular & OpticalParticles & Fields

    Authors & Affiliations

    E. Sánchez-Burillo1, L. Martín-Moreno2, J. J. García-Ripoll3, and D. Zueco2,4

    • 1Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, D-85748 Garching, Germany
    • 2Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón and Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
    • 3Instituto de Física Fundamental, IFF-CSIC, Calle Serrano 113b, Madrid E-28006
    • 4Fundación ARAID, Paseo María Agustín 36, E-50004 Zaragoza, Spain

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    Issue

    Vol. 123, Iss. 1 — 3 July 2019

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    Images

    • Figure 1
      Figure 1

      (a) Sketch of the system. The 2LS-resonator interaction is g(t). (b) Dispersion relation ωk=Ω−2Jcosk of the model given by Eq. (2).

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    • Figure 2
      Figure 2

      Bound states. (a) Eigenenergies as a function of g for Δ=0.3. Continuous lines stand for the MPS simulations and the points for the polaron ansatz. (b) Bound states in position space for g=0.5 and Δ=0.3. (c)–(e) Histograms with the weights in the nph-photon sector for |GS⟩, |E1⟩, and |E2⟩. Same parameters as in panel (b). The parameters defining the photonic waveguide are Ω=1.0 and J=0.4. The lattice length is N=400.

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    • Figure 3
      Figure 3

      Number of photons as a function of time and position for the quenching protocol: the initial state is the trivial vacuum |Ψ(t=0)⟩=|0;0⟩ and the coupling is switched on at t=0. We switch g off at toff/τ=350. The system emits a wave packet at t=0. At t=toff it radiates again. g=0.5 after the initial quench and Δ=0.3. The rest of parameters are as in Fig. 2.

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    • Figure 4
      Figure 4

      (a) Number of photons at time t/τ=250 after the quantum quench described in Fig. 3. We can approximate the field with one- and two-photon components. All the parameters are those of the previous figures (see Figs. 2 and 3). (b) Same as before, increasing the energy of the resonators Ω such that the band gap is now five times larger: Ω=1.8 (keeping in mind that the band gap is Ω−2J). The system emits a single-photon packet.

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