Emergent universal dynamics for an atomic cloud coupled to an optical wave-guide

TL;DR

This paper investigates the universal dynamics of a collective excitation in an atomic ensemble coupled to a waveguide, revealing revivals and limits on dephasing through combined coherent and dissipative interactions.

Contribution

It uncovers a universal dynamical behavior with revivals in atom-waveguide systems and proposes an experimental setup to explore these phenomena.

Findings

Universal revival dynamics observed with increasing atom numbers

Coupling induces both coherent and dissipative effects on excitation

Setup enables experimental exploration of these universal dynamics

Abstract

We study the dynamics of a single collective excitation in a cold ensemble of atoms coupled to a one-dimensional waveguide. The coupling between the atoms and the photonic modes provides a coherent and a dissipative dynamics for this collective excitation. While the dissipative part accounts for the collectively enhanced and directed emission of photons, we find a remarkable universal dynamics for increasing atom numbers exhibiting several revivals under the coherent part. While this phenomenon provides a limit on the intrinsic dephasing for such a collective excitation, a setup is presented, where this remarkable universal dynamics can be explored.