Optical torque on a two-level system near a strongly nonreciprocal medium

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive quantum optical theory to analyze the torque on a two-level atom near a nonreciprocal medium, revealing how unidirectional surface waves influence atomic alignment and energy decay.

Contribution

It introduces a general framework for calculating optical torque on quantum emitters near complex media, including nonreciprocal and bianisotropic structures, with explicit formulas for unidirectional surface wave effects.

Findings

Unidirectional surface waves dominate atomic decay channels.

Optical torque can induce spontaneous atomic alignment.

Theoretical predictions applicable to cold Rydberg atoms and superconducting qubits.

Abstract

We investigate the quantum optical torque on an atom interacting with an inhomogeneous electromagnetic environment described by the most general linear constitutive relations. The atom is modeled as a two-level system prepared in an arbitrary initial energy state. Using the Heisenberg equation of motion (HEM) and under the Markov approximation, we show that the optical torque has a resonant and non-resonant part, associated respectively with a spontaneous-emission process and Casimir-type interactions with the quantum vacuum, which can both be written explicitly in terms of the system Green function. Our formulation is valid for any inhomogeneous, dissipative, dispersive, nonreciprocal, and bianisotropic structure. We apply this general theory to a scenario in which the atom interacts with a material characterized by strong nonreciprocity and modal unidirectionality. In this case, the main decay channel of the atom energy is represented by the unidirectional surface waves launched at the nonreciprocal material-vacuum interface. To provide relevant physical insight into the role of these unidirectional surface waves in the emergence of non-trivial optical torque, we derive closed-form expressions for the induced torque under the quasi-static approximation. Finally, we investigate the equilibrium states of the atom polarization, along which the atom spontaneously tends to align due to the action of the torque. Our theoretical predictions may be experimentally tested with cold Rydberg atoms and superconducting qubits near a nonreciprocal material. We believe that our general theory may find broad application in the context of nano-mechanical and bio-mechanical systems.