Temperature-related single-photon transport in a waveguide QED

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Condensed matter physics
• Nanophotonics

Background:

• Single-photon transport is crucial for quantum technologies.
• Controlling quantum phenomena with external stimuli like temperature is an active research area.
• Developing precise thermometers for low-temperature regimes remains important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and theoretically investigate a novel scheme for temperature-dependent single-photon transport.
• To demonstrate thermal control over single-photon reflection and transmission.
• To present a method for implementing a low-temperature optical thermometer based on photonic transport.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of a one-dimensional waveguide coupled to an atom.
• Integration of the waveguide-atom structure with a thermal bath.
• Analysis of single-photon transport coefficients (reflection and transmission) as a function of bath temperature.

Main Results:

• A novel scenario where single-photon transport is influenced by temperature is proposed.
• The single-photon reflection/transmission coefficients are shown to be controllable by adjusting the thermal bath temperature.
• The proposed scheme allows for accurate temperature estimation in the low-temperature region.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a viable method for thermal control of single-photon transport.
• The developed scheme offers a promising approach for creating optical thermometers with high sensitivity at low temperatures.
• This work opens avenues for integrating thermal sensing capabilities into quantum optical systems.