Solving Dicke superradiance analytically: A compendium of methods

Abstract

We present several analytical approaches to the Dicke superradiance problem, which involves determining the time evolution of the density operator for an initially inverted ensemble of $N$ identical two-level systems undergoing collective spontaneous emission. This serves as one of the simplest cases of open quantum system dynamics that allows for a fully analytical solution. We explore multiple methods to tackle this problem, yielding a solution valid for any time and any number of spins. These approaches range from solving coupled rate equations and identifying exceptional points in non-Hermitian evolution to employing combinatorial and probabilistic techniques, as well as utilizing a quantum jump unraveling of the master equation. The analytical solution is expressed as a residue sum obtained from a contour integral in the complex plane, suggesting the possibility of fully analytical solutions for a broader class of open quantum system dynamics problems.