Electromagnetically induced moir\'{e} optical lattices in a coherent atomic gas

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to generate and analyze electromagnetically induced moiré optical lattices in atomic gases, revealing flat-band phenomena and unique light localization properties, with potential experimental realization in Rubidium media.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to create moiré optical lattices using atomic coherence, demonstrating flat-band formation and light dynamics in a three-level atomic system.

Findings

Moiré optical lattices with flat bands can be generated in atomic gases.

Light exhibits linear localization and delocalization in these lattices.

The scheme is feasible in Rubidium atomic media.

Abstract

Electromagnetically induced optical (or photonic) lattices via atomic coherence in atomic ensembles have recently received great theoretical and experimental interest. We here conceive a way to generate electromagnetically induced moir\'{e} optical lattices -- a twisted periodic pattern when two identical periodic patterns (lattices) are overlapped in a twisted angle ($\theta$) -- in a three-level coherent atomic gas working under electromagnetically induced transparency. We show that, changing the twisted angle and relative strength between the two constitutive sublattices, the moir\'{e} Bloch bands that are extremely flattened can always appear, resembling the typical flat-band and moir\'{e} physics found in other contexts. Dynamics of light propagation in the induced periodic structures demonstrating the unique linear localization and delocalization properties are also revealed. Our scheme can be implemented in a Rubidium atomic medium, where the predicted moir\'{e} optical lattices and flattened bands are naturally observable.