Light scattering from dense cold atomic media

Abstract

We theoretically study the propagation of light through a cold atomic medium,\nwhere the effects of motion, laser intensity, atomic density, and polarization\ncan all modify the properties of the scattered light. We present two different\nmicroscopic models: the "coherent dipole model" and the "random walk model",\nboth suitable for modeling recent experimental work done in large atomic arrays\nin the low light intensity regime. We use them to compute relevant observables\nsuch as the linewidth, peak intensity and line center of the emitted light. We\nfurther develop generalized models that explicitly take into account atomic\nmotion. Those are relevant for hotter atoms and beyond the low intensity\nregime. We show that atomic motion can lead to drastic dephasing and to a\nreduction of collective effects, together with a distortion of the lineshape.\nOur results are applicable to model a full gamut of quantum systems that rely\non atom-light interactions including atomic clocks, quantum simulators and\nnanophotonic systems.\n