Input-output theory of the unconventional photon blockade

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the unconventional photon blockade in coupled-cavity systems considering input-output quantum fields, revealing how system geometry influences optimal parameters for single-photon device performance.

Contribution

It provides a compact analytical formula to determine optimal parameters based on system geometry, advancing understanding of photon blockade in practical setups.

Findings

Input-output mixing still yields strong antibunching.

Optimal parameters depend on input-output geometry.

Analytical formula guides system design for single-photon sources.

Abstract

We study the unconventional photon blockade, recently proposed for a coupled-cavity system, in presence of input and output quantum fields. Mixing of the input or output channels still allows strong photon antibunching of the output field, but for optimal values of the system parameters that differ substantially from those that maximize antibunching of the intracavity field. This result shows that the specific input-output geometry in a photonic system determines the optimal design in view of single-photon device operation. We provide a compact analytical formula that allows finding the optimal parameters for each specific system geometry.