Simultaneously exciting two atoms with photon-mediated Raman interaction

We propose an approach to simultaneously excite two atoms by using cavity-assisted Raman process in combination with cavity photon-mediated interaction. The system consists of a two-level atom and a $\Lambda$-type or V-type three-level atom, which are coupled together with a cavity mode. Having derived the effective Hamiltonian, we find that under certain circumstances a single photon can simultaneously excite two atoms. In addition, multiple photons and even a classical field can also simultaneously excite two atoms. As an example, we show a scheme to realize our proposal in a circuit QED setup, which is artificial atoms coupled with a cavity. The dynamics and the quantum statistical properties of the process are investigated with experimentally feasible parameters.