First demonstrated in 2011, Coherent Perfect Absorption (CPA) is a robust technique to achieve perfect absorption when shining a coherent light on a loss medium with no apprent reflection, behaving just like an ideal blackbody. The technique is colloquially referred to as an “anti-laser”, for it is exatly the lasing process played backwards in time. Recently, this classical technique are being extended to the quantum mechanical regime, where it can see significant use in quantum computing. Specifically, CPA devices are ideal candidates for quantum memory or storage units in a photon-based quantum computer. To this end, we investigate the possibility and properties of quantum mechanical CPA. Specifically, we calculate and discuss the conditions for which CPA can be established for 2 interacting atoms confined in a Fabry-Perot cavity. In particular, the cavity-atom system is placed in a noisy quantum vacuum, causing cavity leakage and irreversible decay of atomic excitation. Despite these losses, we establish the precise condition for which complete annihilation of incoming radiation is possible. The results are also readily extended to N-atoms systems. Finally, we also discuss briefly the possibilities of CPAs for atoms placed in a waveguide.
Author: Junjiang Li
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Imran Mirza, Department of Physics
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