# Photon bandwidth dependence of light-matter interaction

## TL;DR

This study explores how the bandwidth of single photons influences their interaction with a single atom, revealing that narrower bandwidths enhance atomic excitation and scattering probability.

## Contribution

It provides experimental insights into the dependence of light-matter interaction strength on photon bandwidth at the single-photon level.

## Key findings

- Narrower photon bandwidth increases atomic excitation.
- Photon scattering probability rises with decreasing bandwidth.
- Interaction strength depends on photon spectral properties.

## Abstract

We investigate the scattering of single photons by single atoms and, in particular, the dependence of the atomic dynamics and the scattering probability on the photon bandwidth. We tightly focus the incident photons onto a single trapped~$^{87}${Rb} atom and use the time-resolved transmission to characterize the interaction strength. Decreasing the bandwidth of the single photons from 6 to~2 times the atomic linewidth, we observe an increase in atomic peak excitation and photon scattering probability.