Self-organization of atoms along a nanophotonic waveguide

D. E. Chang; J. I. Cirac; H. J. Kimble

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.110.113606

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arXiv · 1211.5660

Self-organization of atoms along a nanophotonic waveguide

D. E. Chang·J. I. Cirac·H. J. Kimble

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Abstract

Atoms coupled to nanophotonic interfaces represent an exciting frontier for the investigation of quantum light-matter interactions. While most work has considered the interaction between statically positioned atoms and light, here we demonstrate that a wealth of phenomena can arise from the self-consistent interaction between atomic internal states, optical scattering, and atomic forces. We consider in detail the case of atoms coupled to a one-dimensional nanophotonic waveguide, and show that this interplay gives rise to self-organization of atomic positions along the waveguide, which can be probed experimentally through distinct characteristics of the reflection and transmission spectra.

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D. E. Chang, J. I. Cirac, H. J. Kimble. 2012-11-24. Self-organization of atoms along a nanophotonic waveguide. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.110.113606

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