Atoms coupled to nanophotonic interfaces represent an exciting frontier for the investigation of quantum light-matter interactions. While most work has considered the interaction between statically positioned atoms and light, here we demonstrate that a wealth of phenomena can arise from the self-consistent interaction between atomic internal states, optical scattering, and atomic forces. We consider in detail the case of atoms coupled to a one-dimensional nanophotonic waveguide, and show that this interplay gives rise to self-organization of atomic positions along the waveguide, which can be probed experimentally through distinct characteristics of the reflection and transmission spectra.
@article{arxiv.1211.5660,
title = {Self-organization of atoms along a nanophotonic waveguide},
author = {D. E. Chang and J. I. Cirac and H. J. Kimble},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1211.5660},
year = {2015}
}