Qubit-photon bound states in topological waveguides with long-range hoppings

Quantum emitters interacting with photonic band-gap materials lead to the appearance of qubit-photon bound states that mediate decoherence-free, tunable emitter-emitter interactions. Recently, it has been shown that when these band gaps have a topological origin, like in the photonic Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, these qubit-photon bound states feature chiral shapes and certain robustness to disorder. In this paper, we consider a more general situation where the emitters interact with an extended SSH photonic model with longer-range hoppings that displays a richer phase diagram than its nearest-neighbor counterpart, e.g., phases with larger winding numbers. In particular, we first study the features of the qubit-photon bound states when the emitters couple to the bulk modes in the different phases, discern their connection with the topological invariant, and show how to further tune their shape through the use of giant atoms, i.e., nonlocal couplings. Then, we consider the coupling of emitters to the edge modes appearing in the different topological phases. Here, we show that giant-atom dynamics can distinguish between all different topological phases, in contrast to the case with local couplings. Finally, we provide a possible experimental implementation of the model based on periodic modulations of circuit QED systems. Our paper enriches the understanding of the interplay between topological photonics and quantum optics.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the interaction between quantum emitters and different topological photonic models, revealing the characteristics of qubit-photon bound states and their connection to topological invariants. By utilizing giant atoms for nonlocal couplings, the shape of these qubit-photon bound states can be further adjusted. Additionally, it is demonstrated that giant-atom dynamics can distinguish between different topological phases, providing insights into the interplay between topological photonics and quantum optics.