Superradiance and subradiance in extended media

Abstract

In super- or subradiance, a quantum superposition of excited atoms collectively emits a photon much more or much less rapidly than an isolated atom. Superradiant and subradiant lifetimes have been derived for finite spheres of uniform media, either by simulating random samples or by expanding in spherical harmonics and analyzing Bessel functions. We introduce a simple regulator that applies to unbounded media, enabling trivial derivation and analysis of lifetimes via elementary Fourier techniques. The regulator can be interpreted as a correlation length for atomic positions; the regularized system describes localized regions of enhanced radiative activity in otherwise quiescent surroundings.