Single-photon-triggered quantum chaos

Abstract

We demonstrate how to manipulate quantum chaos with a single photon in a hybrid quantum device combining cavity QED and optomechanics. Specifically, we show that this system changes between integrable and chaotic relying on the photon-state of the injected field. This onset of chaos originates from the photon-dependent chaotic threshold of the qubit-field coupling induced by the optomechanical interaction. By deriving the Loschmidt Echo we observe clear differences in the sensitivity to perturbations in the regular versus chaotic regimes. We also present classical analog of this chaotic behavior, and find good correspondence between chaotic quantum dynamics and classical physics. Our work opens up a new route to achieve quantum manipulations, which are crucial elements in engineering new types of on-chip quantum devices and quantum information science.