Suppressing normal mode excitation by quantum interference in a cavity-atom system.
Collective coupling of multiple atoms with a cavity mode produces two normal modes that are separated in energy by Vacuum Rabi splitting. We show that the normal mode excitation of the cavity-atom system can be suppressed by coupling a control laser to the atomic system from free space. The control laser splits the normal mode of the cavity-atoms system and opens two excitation channels. The destructive quantum interference between the two channels renders the cavity-atoms system opaque to the light coupled to the cavity-atom system. We demonstrate suppression of the normal mode excitation by the destructive quantum interference in an experiment using cold Rb atoms confined in an optical cavity.
Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, USA.
Jiepeng
J
Zhang
Gessler
G
Hernandez
Yifu
Y
Zhu
D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation