Experimental Fock-State Superradiance

TL;DR

This paper experimentally investigates superradiance involving single and two-photon states, revealing nonclassical features and modeling wave-packets to advance understanding of collective quantum light interactions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the first experimental realization of superradiance with two-excitation states and models the associated wave-packets, extending superradiance studies to higher photon numbers.

Findings

Observation of superradiance in two-excitation states

Theoretical modeling of wave-packets for single and two-photon regimes

Progress towards controlling nonclassical light interactions with quantum memories

Abstract

Superradiance in an ensemble of atoms leads to the collective enhancement of radiation in a particular mode shared by the atoms in their spontaneous decay from an excited state. The quantum aspects of this phenomenon are highlighted when such collective enhancement is observed in the emission of a single quantum of light. Here we report a further step in exploring experimentally the nonclassical features of superradiance by implementing the process not only with single excitations, but also in a two-excitations state. Particularly we measure and theoretically model the wave-packets corresponding to superradiance in both the single-photon and two-photons regimes. Such progress opens the way to the study and future control of the interaction of nonclassical light modes with collective quantum memories at higher photon numbers.