Search for: All records

Abstract To facilitate the transition of quantum effects from the controlled laboratory environment to practical real-world applications, there is a pressing need for scalable platforms. One promising strategy involves integrating thermal vapors with nanostructures designed to manipulate atomic interactions. In this tutorial, we aim to gain deeper insights into this by examining the behavior of thermal vapors that are confined within nanocavities or waveguides and exposed to near-resonant light. We explore the interactions between atoms in confined dense thermal vapors. Our investigation reveals deviations from the predictions of continuous electrodynamics models, including density-dependent line shifts and broadening effects. In particular, our results demonstrate that by carefully controlling the saturation of single atoms and the interactions among multiple atoms using nanostructures, along with controlling the geometry of the atomic cloud, it becomes possible to manipulate the effective optical nonlinearity of the entire atomic ensemble. This capability renders the hybrid thermal atom-nanophotonic platform a distinctive and valuable one for manipulating the collective effect and achieving substantial optical nonlinearities. 

In this study, we present an exploration of spontaneous symmetry breaking and pattern formation in the driven-dissipative system of Rydberg exciton polaritons with long-range interactions. Our investigation unravels the pattern formations through modulational instability, characterized by scales in the micron range. We observe the dynamics of the polariton ensemble, studying the emergence of metastable patterns and their eventual collapse in the long-time limit. This phenomenon is attributed to the destructive interference between the polariton state and the external drive within the ensemble. Further, we delineate conditions conducive to the stable formation of patterns under incoherent pumping. These findings open up various avenues for delving into the burgeoning realm of driven-dissipative and long-range interacting gases through the unique characteristics of Rydberg excitons. Published by the American Physical Society2024 

Abstract Cuprous oxide ($$\hbox {Cu}{}_2\hbox {O}$$ $\text{Cu}{}_2\text{O}$) has recently emerged as a promising material in solid-state quantum technology, specifically for its excitonic Rydberg states characterized by large principal quantum numbers (n). The significant wavefunction size of these highly-excited states (proportional to$$n^2$$ $n^2$) enables strong long-range dipole-dipole (proportional to$$n^4$$ $n^4$) and van der Waals interactions (proportional to$$n^{11}$$ $n^{11}$). Currently, the highest-lying Rydberg states are found in naturally occurring$$\hbox {Cu}_2\hbox {O}$$ ${\text{Cu}}_2\text{O}$. However, for technological applications, the ability to grow high-quality synthetic samples is essential. The fabrication of thin-film$$\hbox {Cu}{}_2\hbox {O}$$ $\text{Cu}{}_2\text{O}$samples is of particular interest as they hold potential for observing extreme single-photon nonlinearities through the Rydberg blockade. Nevertheless, due to the susceptibility of high-lying states to charged impurities, growing synthetic samples of sufficient quality poses a substantial challenge. This study successfully demonstrates the CMOS-compatible synthesis of a$$\hbox {Cu}{}_2\hbox {O}$$ $\text{Cu}{}_2\text{O}$thin film on a transparent substrate that showcases Rydberg excitons up to$$n = 8$$ $n=8$which is readily suitable for photonic device fabrications. These findings mark a significant advancement towards the realization of scalable and on-chip integrable Rydberg quantum technologies. 

Frustrated magnetic systems arising in geometrically constrained lattices represent rich platforms for exploring unconventional phases of matter, including fractional magnetization plateaus, incommensurate orders and complex domain dynamics. However, determining the microscopic spin configurations that stabilize such phases is a key challenge, especially when in-plane and out-of-plane spin components coexist and compete. Here, we combine neutron scattering and magnetic susceptibility experiments with simulations to investigate the emergence of field-induced fractional plateaus and the related criticality in a frustrated magnet holmium tetraboride (HoB4) that represents the family of rare earth tetraborides that crystalize in a Shastry–Sutherland lattice in the ab plane. We focus on the interplay between classical and quantum criticality near phase boundaries, as well as the role of material defects in the stabilization of the ordered phases. We find that simulations using classical annealing can explain certain observed features in the experimental Laue diffraction and the origin of multiple magnetization plateaus. Our results show that defects and out-of-plane interactions play an important role and can guide the route towards resolving microscopic spin textures in highly frustrated magnets. 

An array of radiatively coupled emitters provides a platform for generating, storing and manipulating quantum light. However, the simultaneous positioning and tuning of several lifetime-limited emitters into resonance remains a challenge. Here we report the creation of superradiant and subradiant entangled states in pairs of lifetime-limited and subwavelength-spaced organic molecules by permanently shifting them into resonance with laser-induced tuning. The molecules are embedded as defects in an organic nanocrystal. The pump light redistributes charges in the nanocrystal and dramatically increases the likelihood of resonant molecules. The frequency spectra, lifetimes and second-order correlation functions agree with a simple quantum model. This scalable tuning approach with organic molecules provides a pathway for observing collective quantum phenomena in subwavelength arrays of quantum emitters.