Coupling a discrete state to a quasi-continuum: a model quantum-mechanical system that interpolates between Rabi oscillations and decay-revival dynamics

We formulate a quantum-mechanical system consisting of a single discrete state coupled to an infinite ladder of equally spaced states, with the coupling described by a Lorentzian profile. Various limiting cases of this system correspond to well-known models in quantum optics: the narrow-resonance limit yields the Rabi model, the wide-resonance limit yields the Bixon--Jortner model, the wide-resonance true continuum limit yields the Wigner--Weisskopf model, and the fixed-resonance true continuum limit yields a system typically studied using methods developed by Fano. We obtain a semianalytical solution to the eigenvalue problem by reducing it to a transcendental equation and demonstrate the limiting behaviors described above. We then investigate numerically the dynamics of the initial discrete state and show that, in various limiting regimes, the system exhibits a wide range of behaviors predicted by the asymptotic theory, including exponential decay, revivals, Rabi oscillations, and damped oscillations. The ability of the system to interpolate between such a rich variety of behaviors and established model systems, together with the accessibility of a semianalytical solution, makes it a useful model in quantum optics and related fields.