On the response of a two-level system to two-photon inputs

TL;DR

This paper analytically studies how a two-level quantum system interacts with two-photon inputs, revealing effects on photon pulse shapes, entanglement, and interference phenomena, with implications for quantum information processing.

Contribution

It provides analytical transfer function models for two-photon interactions with a two-level system, exploring different pulse shapes and propagation scenarios, and identifies key quantum effects.

Findings

Gaussian pulses stretch photon wavepackets

Different pulse shapes lead to distinct entanglement properties

Counter-propagating photons exhibit Hong-Ou-Mandel interference

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the interaction between a two-level system and two continuous-mode photons. Two scenarios are investigated: Case 1, how a two-level system changes the pulse shapes of two input photons propagating in a single input channel; and Case 2, how a two-level system responds to two counter-propagating photons. By means of a transfer function approach, the steady-state output field states for both cases are derived analytically. In Example 1, a two-photon input state of Gaussian pulse shape is used to excite a two-level atom. The simulation demonstrates that in the time domain the atom tends to stretch out the two photons. Moreover, the striking difference between the joint probability distribution of the output two-photon state and that of the input two-photon state occurs exactly under the setting when the two-level atom is most efficiently excited. In Example 2, a two-photon input state of rising exponential pulse shape is used to excite a two-level atom. Strong anti-correlation of the output two-photon state is observed, which is absent in Example 1 for the Gaussian pulse shape. Such difference indicates that different pulse shapes give rise to drastically different frequency entanglement of the output two-photon state. Example 3 is used to illustrate Case 2, where two counter-propagating single photons of rising exponential pulse shapes are input to a two-level atom. The frequency-dependent Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference phenomenon is observed. The simulation results base on the analytic forms of output two-photon states are consistent with those based on quantum master or filter equations [43,11]. Similar physical phenomena have been observed in physical settings such as cavity opto-mechanical systems and Keer nonlinear cavities.