Polaron-Polaritons in Subwavelength Arrays of Trapped Atoms

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.21062v1
• Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:40:27 GMT
• Title: Polaron-Polaritons in Subwavelength Arrays of Trapped Atoms
• Authors: Kristian Knakkergaard Nielsen, Lukas Wangler, David Castells-Graells, J. Ignacio Cirac, Ana Asenjo-Garcia, Daniel Malz, Cosimo C. Rusconi,
• Abstract summary: Subwavelength arrays of atoms trapped in optical lattices or tweezers are inherently susceptible to deformations.<n>We show that this coupling hybridizes collective atomic excitations (polaritons) with phonons, forming polaron-polaritons.<n>Our findings lay the foundation for analyzing motional effects in key applications and suggest new ways to harness them in state-of-the-art experiments.
• Score: 0.08376229126363229
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Subwavelength arrays of atoms trapped in optical lattices or tweezers are inherently susceptible to deformations: Optomechanical forces produce lattice distortions, which, in turn, modify the optical response of the array. We show that this coupling hybridizes collective atomic excitations (polaritons) with phonons, forming polaron-polaritons -- the fundamental quasiparticles governing light-matter interactions in arrays of trapped atoms. Using analytical polaron theory and numerical simulations, we show that: (1) phonons can strongly enhance the decay of subradiant states, but also enable their efficient excitation; (2) transport of dark excitations remains remarkably robust even at low trap frequencies, except when a polariton can resonantly scatter phonons; and (3) motion reduces the reflectivity of a two-dimensional atomic mirror, however, we identify mechanisms that mitigate this degradation and restore reflectivity above 99% in some cases. Our findings lay the foundation for analyzing motional effects in key applications and suggest new ways to harness them in state-of-the-art experiments.

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