Correlating photons using the collective nonlinear response of atoms weakly coupled to an optical mode

Typical schemes for generating correlated states of light require a highly nonlinear medium that is strongly coupled to an optical mode. However, unavoidable dissipative processes, which cause photon loss and blur nonlinear quantum effects, often impede such methods. In this talk, I will report on our experimental implementation of the opposite approach. Using a strongly dissipative, weakly coupled medium, we generate and study strongly correlated states of light. Specifically, we study the transmission of resonant light through an ensemble of non-interacting atoms that weakly couple to a guided optical mode. Dissipation removes uncorrelated photons while preferentially transmitting highly correlated photons, created through collectively enhanced nonlinear interactions. As a result, the transmitted light constitutes a strongly correlated many-body state of light, revealed in the second-order correlation function. The latter exhibits strong antibunching or bunching, depending on the optical depth of the atomic ensemble. The demonstrated mechanism opens a new avenue for generating nonclassical states of light and for exploring correlations of photons in non-equilibrium systems using a mix of nonlinear and dissipative processes.