Magnonic Superradiant Phase Transition

We show that the low-temperature phase transition in ErFeO3 that occurs at a critical temperature of ~ 4 K can be described as a magnonic version of the superradiant phase transition (SRPT). The role of photons in the quantum-optical SRPT is played by Fe magnons, while that of two-level atoms is played by Er spins. Our spin model, which is reduced to an extended Dicke model, takes into account the short-range, direct exchange interactions between Er spins in addition to the long-range Er-Er interactions mediated by Fe magnons. By using realistic parameters determined by recent terahertz magnetospectroscopy and magnetization experiments, we demonstrate that it is the cooperative, ultrastrong coupling between Er spins and Fe magnons that causes the phase transition. This work thus proves ErFeO3 to be a unique system that exhibits a SRPT in thermal equilibrium, in contrast to previous observations of laser-driven non-equilibrium SRPTs

Spin canting in nonlinear terahertz magnon dynamics revealed by magnetorefractive probing in orthoferrite

We excite the spin precession in rare-earth orthoferrite YFeO3 by the magnetic field of intense terahertz pulse and probe its dynamics by transient absorption change in the near infrared. The observed waveforms contain quasi-ferromagnetic-mode magnon oscillation and its second harmonics with a comparably strong amplitude. The result can be explained by dielectric function derived from magnetorefractive Hamiltonian. We reveal that the strong second harmonic signal microscopically originates from novel dynamics of the quasi-ferromagnetic mode magnon at nonlinear regime, wherein spin canting angle periodically oscillates

Perfect Intrinsic Squeezing at the Superradiant Phase Transition Critical Point

The ground state of the photon-matter coupled system described by the Dicke model is found to be perfectly squeezed at the quantum critical point of the superradiant phase transition (SRPT). In the presence of the counter-rotating photon-atom coupling, the ground state is analytically expressed as a two-mode squeezed vacuum in the basis of photons and atomic collective excitations. The variance of a quantum fluctuation in the two-mode basis vanishes at the SRPT critical point, with its conjugate fluctuation diverging, ideally satisfying the Heisenberg uncertainty principle

Tunable Plasmonic Ultrastrong Coupling: Emulating Dicke Physics at Room Temperature

A system of N two-level atoms cooperatively interacting with a photonic field can be described as a single giant atom coupled to the field with interaction strength ~N^0.5. This enhancement, known as Dicke cooperativity in quantum optics, has recently become an indispensable element in quantum information technology based on strong light-matter coupling. Here, we extend the coupling beyond the standard light-matter interaction paradigm, emulating Dicke cooperativity in a terahertz metasurface with N meta-atoms. Cooperative enhancement manifested in the form of matter-matter coupling, through the hybridization of localized surface plasmon resonance in individual meta-atoms and surface lattice resonance due to the periodic array of the meta-atoms. By varying the lattice constant of the array, we observe a clear anticrossing behavior, a signature of strong coupling. Furthermore, through engineering of the capacitive split-gap in the meta-atoms, the coupling rate was cooperatively enhanced into the ultrastrong coupling regime by a factor of N^0.5. This room-temperature technology serves as a convenient quantum emulator of the dynamics of a qubit with a giant dipole moment coherently driven by a single bosonic field

Dicke-Cooperativity-Assisted Ultrastrong Coupling Enhancement in Terahertz Metasurfaces

A system of N two-level atoms cooperatively interacting with a photonic field can be described as a single giant atom coupled to the field with interaction strength ∝N. This enhancement, known as Dicke cooperativity in quantum optics, has recently become an indispensable element in quantum information technology. Here, we extend the coupling beyond the standard light–matter interaction paradigm, enhancing Dicke cooperativity in a terahertz metasurface with N meta-atoms. The cooperative enhancement is manifested through the hybridization of the localized surface plasmon resonance in individual meta-atoms and surface lattice resonance due to the periodic array. Furthermore, through engineering of the capacitive split-gap in the meta-atoms, we were able to enhance the coupling rate into the ultrastrong coupling regime by a factor of N. Our strategy can serve as a new platform for demonstrating effective control of fermionic systems by weak pumping, superradiant emission, and ultrasensitive sensing of molecules