Work

Prethermalization of Light and Matter in Cavity-Coupled Rydberg Arrays

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We explore the dynamics of two-dimensional Rydberg atom arrays coupled to a single-mode optical cavity, employing nonequilibrium diagrammatic techniques to capture nonlinearities and fluctuations beyond mean-field theory. We discover a novel prethermalization regime driven by the interplay between short-range Rydberg interactions and long-range photon-mediated interactions. In this regime, matter and light equilibrate at distinct-and in some cases opposite-effective temperatures, resembling the original concept of prethermalization from particle physics. Our results establish strongly correlated AMO platforms as tools to investigate fundamental questions in statistical mechanics, including quantum thermalization in higher-dimensional systems.

Source: Physical Review Letters

DOI: 10.1103/gqjz-tyqg

Authors: Aleksandr N. Mikheev, Hossein Hosseinabadi, Jamir Marino

Institutions: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Language: English

Topic: Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green