The effect of center-of-mass motion on photon statistics

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the center-of-mass motion of a trapped atom influences photon statistics in cavity QED, revealing effects like photon bunching and anti-bunching and exploring the role of imperfect cooling.

Contribution

It demonstrates that atom motion can be harnessed to control photon blockade and tunneling, offering new insights into cavity QED systems with motional degrees of freedom.

Findings

Photon bunching and anti-bunching depend on driving frequency.

Imperfect cooling affects photon blockade.

Center-of-mass motion can be exploited rather than avoided.

Abstract

We analyze the photon statistics of a weakly driven cavity quantum electrodynamics system and discuss the effects of photon blockade and photon-induced tunneling by effectively utilizing instead of avoiding the center-of-mass motion of a two-level atom trapped in the cavity. With the resonant interaction between atom, photon and phonon, it is shown that the bunching and anti-bunching of photons can occur with properly driving frequency. Our study shows the influence of the imperfect cooling of atom on the blockade and provides an attempt to take advantage of the center-of-mass motion.