Controlling decoherence of a two-level atom in a lossy cavity

Abstract

By use of external periodic driving sources, we demonstrate the possibility of controlling the coherent as well as the decoherent dynamics of a two-level atom placed in a lossy cavity. The control of the coherent dynamics is elucidated for the phenomenon of coherent destruction of tunnelling (CDT), i.e. the coherent dynamics of a driven two-level atom in a quantum superposition state can be brought practically to a complete standstill. We study this phenomenon for different initial preparations of the two-level atom. We then proceed to investigate the decoherence originating from the interaction of the two-level atom with a lossy cavity mode. The loss mechanism is described in terms of a microscopic model that couples the cavity mode to a bath of harmonic field modes. A suitably tuned external cw-laser field applied to the two-level atom slows down considerably the decoherence of the atom. We demonstrate the suppression of decoherence for two opposite initial preparations of the atomic state: a quantum superposition state as well as the ground state. These findings can be used to decrease the influence of decoherence in qubit manipulation processes.