pcw wave guideA new paper by the Kimble group reports initial observation of cooperative atom–atom interactions around the band edge of a photonic crystal waveguide. “In recent years, there has been considerable effort to bring ultracold atoms into the realm of nanophotonics. Nanoscopic dielectric devices offer unprecedented opportunities to engineer novel capabilities for the control of atom–photon interactions. In particular, photonic crystals are periodic dielectric structures that display a photonic bandgap where light cannot propagate and provide a new setting for coherent photon-mediated interactions between atoms with tunable range. … Our experiment opens the door to fascinating scenarios, such as exploring many-body physics with large spin exchange energies and low dissipation.”

Read the full article: Hood, Jonathan D. and Goban, Akihisa and Asenjo-Garcia, Ana and Lu, Mingwu and Yu, Su-Peng and Chang, Darrick E. and Kimble, H. J. (2016) Atom–atom interactions around the band edge of a photonic crystal waveguide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113 (38). pp. 10507-10512. ISSN 0027-8424.