Pontus-Mpemba effect in cavity quantum electrodynamics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how the quantum Pontus-Mpemba effect, where a quantum system relaxes faster via a two-step process, can be realized in cavity QED systems using the Jaynes-Cummings model with photon loss.

Contribution

It proposes a realistic cavity QED setup to observe the quantum Pontus-Mpemba effect through controlled dissipation and quench protocols.

Findings

Quench of cavity decay rate leads to faster relaxation in certain trajectories.

Transition from Rabi oscillations to exponential decay with increasing dissipation.

Experimental feasibility in optical and circuit QED platforms.

Abstract

The quantum Pontus-Mpemba effect is a counterintuitive phenomenon in which a quantum system relaxes faster through a two-step evolution protocol than through a single, unquenched relaxation. This work proposes its realization in cavity quantum electrodynamics using the Jaynes-Cummings model with photon loss. The model captures the coherent interaction between a two-level atom and a single quantized mode of a lossy cavity, providing a minimal yet realistic setting to explore dissipative quantum dynamics. Restricting the analysis to the single-excitation sector, the dynamics feature damped vacuum Rabi oscillations for weak dissipation that transition to near-exponential atomic decay under strong dissipation. A sudden quench of the cavity decay rate generates distinct relaxation trajectories from the same initial atom-cavity state. The atomic excitation then displays a non-monotonic, accelerated decay, where a trajectory with a quenched dissipation relaxes faster than fixed-loss evolution. The effect originates from the interplay between coherent atom-photon exchange and cavity dissipation, establishing a clear and experimentally accessible realization of the quantum Pontus-Mpemba effect in both optical and circuit QED platforms.