Study of a transient triangular atom mirror behavior

Abstract

The reflective properties of a three-atom system arranged in an equilateral triangle configuration are investigated, with a focus on collective dynamics driven by vacuum-induced dipole-dipole interactions. In the study, one or more atoms are initially prepared in an excited state, with collective damping and spontaneous emission considered. The aim is to observe periodic time-dependent exchange of populations among the atoms, which is interpreted as mirror-like behavior. Results reveal that an atomic mirror behavior emerges in two-dimensional systems, with a strong dependence on inter atomic distances. For separations smaller than about one fourth of the atomic wavelength, the system manifests periodic population exchange, resembling a stable triangular atomic mirror. The dynamics are significantly shaped by the initial state preparation, with initially symmetric superpositions generating synchronized oscillations and selective suppression of dipole-dipole interactions between specific atom pairs, leading to more stable and prolonged mirror-like behavior, even for relatively larger inter-atomic separations. These findings provide insights into the collective behavior of atoms in two-dimensional configurations, offering potential applications in the realms of quantum optics and quantum information processing.