Quantum Interfaces with Multilayered Superwavelength Atomic Arrays

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Atomic physics
• Condensed matter physics

Background:

• Superwavelength atomic arrays offer potential for quantum light-matter interfaces.
• Scattering losses to high diffraction orders limit light coupling in single-layer arrays.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate methods to enhance light coupling efficiency in multi-layer atomic arrays.
• Analyze the role of destructive interference in suppressing scattering losses.

Main Methods:

• Modeling the quantum interface as a 1D system with reflectivity.
• Developing a geometrical optics formulation for finite-size arrays.
• Direct numerical calculations of scattering reflectivity and quantum memory performance.

Main Results:

• Addition of layers suppresses scattering losses via destructive interference.
• Optimized efficiency achieved with small diffraction angles and interlayer separations.
• Coupling inefficiency scales as N^{-1} with atom number per layer N for two layers.

Conclusions:

• Multi-layer superwavelength atomic arrays enable high atom-photon coupling efficiency.
• Demonstrated efficiency validates theoretical predictions for quantum memory protocols.
• Findings pave the way for advanced applications in atomic array platforms.