Direct experimental observation of sub-poissonian photon statistics by means of multi-photon scattering on a two-level system

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental observation of sub-Poissonian photon statistics through multi-photon scattering in a system of two superconducting artificial atoms coupled to a waveguide, revealing nonclassical light properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates wave mixing of nonclassical and coherent light in a cascaded two-atom system, supported by experimental and theoretical analysis of nonclassical spectra.

Findings

Observation of nonclassical wave mixing spectra

Confirmation of multi-photon scattering dominance

Prediction of non-classical spectra for different atomic parameters

Abstract

A cascade of two-level superconducting artificial atoms -- a source and a probe -- strongly coupled to a semi-infinite waveguide is a promising tool for observing nontrivial phenomena in quantum nonlinear optics. The probe atom can scatter an antibunched radiation emitted from the source, thereby generating a field with specific properties. We experimentally demonstrate wave mixing between nonclassical light from the coherently cw-pumped source and another coherent wave acting on the probe. We observe unique features in the wave mixing stationary spectrum which differs from mixing spectrum of two classical waves on the probe. These features are well described by adapting the theory for a strongly coupled cascaded system of two atoms. We further analyze the theory to predict non-classical mixing spectra for various ratios of atoms' radiative constants. Both experimental and numerical results confirm the domination of multi-photon scattering process with only a single photon from the source. We evaluate entanglement of atoms in the quasistationary state and illustrate the connection between the expected second-order correlation function of source's field and wave mixing side peaks corresponding to a certain number of scattered photons.