An exact analytical solution for Dicke superradiance

Abstract

We revisit the Dicke superradiance problem, where an ensemble of N identical two-level systems undergoes collective spontaneous decay. While an exact analytical solution has been known since 1977, its algebraic complexity has hindered practical use. Here we present a compact, closed-form solution that expresses the dynamics as a finite sum over residues or, equivalently, a complex contour integral. The method yields explicit populations of all Dicke states at arbitrary times and system sizes, and generalizes naturally to arbitrary initial conditions. Our formulation is computationally efficient and offers structural insights into the role of spectral degeneracies and Lindbladian eigenmodes in collective decay.