Dicke quantum spin glass of atoms and photons

TL;DR

This paper explores a multimode Dicke model where atoms and photons interact strongly, revealing a potential quantum spin glass phase characterized by superradiance, with spectral responses that can be experimentally measured.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a quantum spin glass phase in the multimode Dicke model with variable couplings, expanding understanding of complex quantum phases in atom-photon systems.

Findings

Identification of a quantum spin glass phase in the multimode Dicke model

Prediction of superradiant states involving random cavity mode combinations

Calculation of atomic and photon spectral responses across the phase transition

Abstract

Recent studies of strongly interacting atoms and photons in optical cavities have rekindled interest in the Dicke model of atomic qubits coupled to discrete photon cavity modes. We study the multimode Dicke model with variable atom-photon couplings. We argue that a quantum spin glass phase can appear, with a random linear combination of the cavity modes superradiant. We compute atomic and photon spectral response functions across this quantum phase transition, both of which should be accessible in experiment.