Moochan B. Kim

Quantum statistics of a single-atom Scovil–Schulz-DuBois heat engine

We study the statistics of the lasing output from a single atom quantum heat engine, which was originally proposed by Scovil and Schulz-DuBois (SSDB). In this heat engine model, a single three-level atom is strongly coupled with an optical cavity, and contacted with a hot and a cold heat bath together. We derive a fully quantum laser equation for this heat engine model, and obtain the photon number distribution for both below and above the lasing threshold. With the increase of the hot bath temperature, the population is inverted and lasing light comes out. However, we notice that if the hot bath temperature keeps increasing, the atomic decay rate is also enhanced, which weakens the lasing gain. As a result, another critical point appears at a very high temperature of the hot bath, after which the output light become thermal radiation again. To avoid this double-threshold behavior, we introduce a four-level heat engine model, where the atomic decay rate does not depend on the hot bath temperature. In this case, the lasing threshold is much easier to achieve, and the double-threshold behavior disappears.

Entropy of the Bose-Einstein-condensate ground state: Correlation versus ground-state entropy

Calculation of the entropy of an ideal Bose Einstein Condensate (BEC) in a three dimensional trap reveals unusual, previously unrecognized, features of the Canonical Ensemble. It is found that, for any temperature, the entropy of the Bose gas is equal to the entropy of the excited particles although the entropy of the particles in the ground state is nonzero. We explain this by considering the correlations between the ground state particles and particles in the excited states. These correlations lead to a correlation entropy which is exactly equal to the contribution from the ground state. The correlations themselves arise from the fact that we have a fixed number of particles obeying quantum statistics. We present results for correlation functions between the ground and excited states in Bose gas, so to clarify the role of fluctuations in the system. We also report the sub-Poissonian nature of the ground state fluctuations.

Light, the universe and everything-12 Herculean tasks for quantum cowboys and black diamond skiers

Abstract The Winter Colloquium on the Physics of Quantum Electronics (PQE) has been a seminal force in quantum optics and related areas since 1971. It is rather mind-boggling to recognize how the concepts presented at these conferences have transformed scientific understanding and human society. In January 2017, the participants of PQE were asked to consider the equally important prospects for the future, and to formulate a set of questions representing some of the greatest aspirations in this broad field. The result is this multi-authored paper, in which many of the world’s leading experts address the following fundamental questions: (1) What is the future of gravitational wave astronomy? (2) Are there new quantum phases of matter away from equilibrium that can be found and exploited – such as the time crystal? (3) Quantum theory in uncharted territory: What can we learn? (4) What are the ultimate limits for laser photon energies? (5) What are the ultimate limits to temporal, spatial and optical resolution? (6) What novel roles will atoms play in technology? (7) What applications lie ahead for nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond? (8) What is the future of quantum coherence, squeezing and entanglement for enhanced super-resolution and sensing? (9) How can we solve (some of) humanity’s biggest problems through new quantum technologies? (10) What new understanding of materials and biological molecules will result from their dynamical characterization with free-electron lasers? (11) What new technologies and fundamental discoveries might quantum optics achieve by the end of this century? (12) What novel topological structures can be created and employed in quantum optics?

Increasing photocell power by quantum coherence induced by external source

We show that photocell power can be substantially enhanced by quantum coherence in the model proposed by [M. O. Scully Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 207701 (2010)]. Here coherence is induced by an external microwave drive. We show that although such coherence requires an extra energy input, the amount of extra input power can be much smaller than produced enhancement of the photovoltaic power. We demonstrate that for certain parameters power enhancement is governed by quantum coherence and is not just a result of population transfer due to the driving field. This corroborates and extends the earlier work of Scully.