The Structure of Phase Diagrams in Matter-Radiation Systems

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the phase diagrams of matter-radiation systems using coherent states and catastrophe formalism, providing analytical insights and scalable methods for larger systems relevant to quantum optics and information.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining coherent states and catastrophe theory to study phase diagrams, enabling analysis of larger multi-level systems with analytical expressions.

Findings

Accurate phase diagram descriptions matching quantum solutions.

Development of reduced bases for larger system analysis.

Applicable to quantum optics, information, and cryptography.

Abstract

We present a study of the structure of phase diagrams for matter-radiation systems, based on the use of coherent states and the catastrophe formalism, that compares very well with the exact quantum solutions as well as providing analytical expressions. Emphasis is made on $2$- and $3$-level systems, but in general $n$-level systems in the presence of $\ell$ electromagnetic modes are described. Due to the infinite-dimensional nature of the Hilbert space, and using the results of the analyses and the behaviour of the solutions, we construct a sequence of ever-approximating reduced bases, which make possible the study of larger systems both, in the number of atoms and in the number of excitations. These studies are of importance in fundamental quantum optics, quantum information, and quantum cryptography scenarios.