Evolution of collective N atom states in single photon superradiance: Effect of virtual Lamb shift processes Academic Article

abstract

• We present analytical solutions for the evolution of collective states of N atoms. On the one hand is a (timed) Dicke state prepared by the conditional absorption of a single photon and exhibiting superradiant decay. This is in strong contrast to the evolution of a symmetric Dicke state which is trapped for large atomic clouds. We show that virtual processes yield only a small effect on the evolution of the rapidly decaying timed Dicke state. However, they change the long time dynamics from exponential decay into a power-law behavior which can be observed experimentally. For trapped states virtual processes are much more important and provide new decay channels resulting in a slow decay of the otherwise trapped state. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

authors

• Scully, Marlan
• Svidzinsky, Anatoly

published proceedings

• OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS

author list (cited authors)

• Svidzinsky, A. A., & Scully, M. O.

citation count

• 44

complete list of authors

• Svidzinsky, Anatoly A||Scully, Marian O

publication date

• July 2009

publisher

• Elsevier  Publisher

published in

• Optics Communications  Journal

keywords

• 51 Physical Sciences
• 5102 Atomic, Molecular And Optical Physics
• 5108 Quantum Physics

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1016/j.optcom.2009.04.011

start page

• 2894

end page

• 2897

volume

• 282

issue

• 14

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2009.04.011