Something from Nothing? -- Dissipation in composite quantum systems

Location: Hörsaal A Time: Monday 30.10.2009, 14h c.t.

 

Dissipation in the form of spontaneous emission of photons from an optical cavity and from individually trapped atoms has been studied extensively in the framework of quantum optics. Up to now, theoretical predictions based on the dipole and the rotating wave approximation (RWA) are in very good agreement with experimental findings. However, current experiments aim at combining better and better cavities with relatively large numbers of tightly confined atoms within the same setup. Here we point out that the result might be a behaviour which is profoundly different from the behaviour of individual quantum systems and which cannot be described using the RWA. To show this, we predict a non-zero stationary-state cavity photon emission rate even in the absence of external driving. This rate and its dependence on the system parameters could be verified experimentally.

More information:  P. Brouwer   

Back to seminar list