Enhanced optical cross section via collective coupling of atomic dipoles in a 2D array

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that collective dipolar interactions in a 2D atomic array can significantly enhance the optical cross section, enabling high-fidelity light extinction with potential applications in quantum optics.

Contribution

It introduces a method to suppress off-axis scattering and achieve a subradiant mode, substantially increasing the optical cross section in atomic arrays.

Findings

Optical cross section enhanced by nearly an order of magnitude.

High extinction achievable with current experimental setups.

Lattice vacancies and trapping depth impact transmission but do not prevent high extinction.

Abstract

Enhancing the optical cross section is an enticing goal in light-matter interactions, due to its fundamental role in quantum and non-linear optics. Here, we show how dipolar interactions can suppress off-axis scattering in a two-dimensional atomic array, leading to a subradiant collective mode where the optical cross section is enhanced by almost an order of magnitude. As a consequence, it is possible to attain an optical depth which implies high fidelity extinction, from a monolayer. Using realistic experimental parameters, we also model how lattice vacancies and the atomic trapping depth affect the transmission, concluding that such high extinction should be possible, using current experimental techniques.