Atomic arrays coupled to structured light

Abstract:
Technological advances driven by modern experiments provide context to examine fundamental questions of time, measurement, and coherence in quantum mechanics. The ability to control single quantum systems, for example, allowed for the quantized nature of radiation to be proved and to test the loss of coherence caused by an external environment probing the system. This control is currently being extended to systematically build many-body systems and engineer the environment that surrounds them. More and more laboratories around the world are now focused on constructing arrays built from individual atoms kept in place by light or superconducting circuits coupled to a common environment. In this talk, I will describe the collective optical response of emitter arrays and explore fundamental differences that emerge with increasing system size. I will discuss how these arrays can be used as toy models for complex materials, probe quantum light, and to develop efficient light matter interfaces. I will finish by presenting new theoretical tools that need to be developed to harness modern quantum technologies and questions that arise within this framework.