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Photon localization and Dicke superradiance in atomic gases
E Akkermans1, A Gero, R Kaiser
1Department of Physics, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel.
Physical Review Letters
|October 15, 2008
Summary
This study explores photon propagation in atomic gases, revealing how cooperative effects influence photon escape rates. A novel connection between photon localization and small-world network statistics is uncovered.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Atomic physics
- Condensed matter theory
Background:
- Photon propagation in atomic gases is complex, influenced by interatomic interactions.
- Understanding photon escape rates is crucial for controlling light-matter interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate photon propagation and escape rates in a gas of N atoms.
- To analyze the role of photon-mediated atomic dipolar interactions.
- To explore the relationship between photon localization and network theory.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an effective Hamiltonian for photon-mediated atomic dipolar interactions.
- Determined the density of photon escape rates from the spectrum of a random matrix.
- Employed microscopic calculations and a stochastic model.
Main Results:
- Observed scaling behavior in photon escape rates with varying disorder and system size.
- The escape rate density P(Gamma) is linked to the spectrum of a specific random matrix.
- Highlighted the significance of cooperative effects in photon localization.
Conclusions:
- Cooperative effects play a key role in photon localization within atomic gases.
- Photon escape rate statistics exhibit a relationship with small-world network properties.
- The findings offer new insights into light transport in disordered atomic systems.
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