Non-Markovian quantum-emitter dynamics and bound-state formation in an Aubry--André--Harper photonic lattice

Abstract

In non-Markovian light-matter interactions, a spectrally structured bath can alter the evolution of a quantum emitter by modifying the vacuum fluctuations experienced by the emitter. This raises the question of how the localization transition and the associated multifractal critical modes induced by a quasiperiodic potential shape the emitter dynamics. We investigate this scenario in the single-excitation sector for a two-level quantum emitter coupled to an Aubry-André-Harper (AAH) photonic lattice. By externally tuning the strength of the quasiperiodic onsite modulation, the lattice is tuned from the extended to the localized regime through a critical point characterized by multifractal modes. Using modal analysis, we show that the quasiperiodic modulation reshapes the local density of states at the coupling site and thereby controls the effective spectral coupling between the emitter and the lattice. The transient dynamics depend strongly on the spatial and spectral overlap between the emitter and the lattice modes: extended modes below the critical modulation generally produce rapid depopulation, whereas critical and localized modes give rise to coherent back-action and persistent Rabi-like oscillations, with particularly pronounced behavior at the critical point. We further identify emitter-photon bound states whose formation is controlled by the quasiperiodic spectral structure of the bath and whose overlap with the initially excited state leads to partial long-time population trapping. These results establish a direct connection between quasiperiodic localization, non-Markovian dynamics, and emitter-photon bound-state formation.