Bloch polaritons in arrayed two-level atoms: collective emission and anomalous transport

We present a unified and transparent theoretical framework for two longstanding phenomena in light–matter systems: collective emission and anomalous transport. Although both subjects have been extensively studied, we revisit them using a field-theoretical approach that solves the dressed Bloch wave functions of photons and electrons in an irradiated array of two-level atoms. This treatment reveals that the evolution of emission with irradiation frequency—from subradiance to superradiance—is directly encoded in the dressed photon momentum, which captures radiative decay and coherence. At the same time, photon-mediated interactions give rise to unconventional transport responses, including near-zero and even negative resistivity, whose microscopic origin can be consistently explained through the self-energy of the dressed electron. Framed in terms of Bloch polaritons, our results establish a direct link between radiative decay, cooperative interference, and transport anomalies, providing fresh insights into engineered light–matter platforms with tunable emission and transport properties.