Photon control and coherent interactions via lattice dark states in atomic arrays

Ordered atomic arrays with subwavelength spacing have emerged as an efficient and versatile light-matter interface, where collective interactions give rise to sets of super- and subradiant lattice states. Here, we demonstrate that highly subradiant states, so-called lattice dark states, can be individually addressed and manipulated by applying a spatial modulation of the atomic detuning. More specifically, we show that lattice dark states can be used to store and retrieve single photons with near-unit efficiency, as well as to control the temporal, frequency, and spatial degrees of freedom of the emitted electromagnetic field. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to engineer arbitrary coherent interactions between multiple dark states and thereby manipulate information stored in the lattice. These results pave the way towards quantum optics and information processing using atomic arrays.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates how to utilize lattice dark states in atomic arrays to store and retrieve single photons, as well as control the degrees of freedom of the emitted electromagnetic field. Furthermore, it shows how to manipulate information stored in the lattice by building coherent interactions between multiple dark states.