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A pedagogical derivation of the first-order effective Hamiltonian for the two-mode Jaynes-Cummings model

Quantum Physics 2026-01-27 v1 Physics Education

Abstract

This work presents a pedagogical and self-contained derivation of the first-order effective Hamiltonian for the two-mode Jaynes-Cummings model in the dispersive regime. A perturbative unitary transformation removes nonresonant atom-field terms, revealing dispersive frequency shifts leading to an atom-induced effective beam-splitter interaction between the field modes. The resulting Hamiltonian is diagonalized through a simple geometric rotation in the two-mode bosonic space, providing a transparent interpretation of the underlying dynamics. The exposition emphasized clarity and physical insight, making effective Hamiltonian methods accessible for teaching and learning in multimode light-matter interactions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2601.17208,
  title  = {A pedagogical derivation of the first-order effective Hamiltonian for the two-mode Jaynes-Cummings model},
  author = {Alejandro R. Urzúa},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.17208},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

10 pages, 2 figures