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Subradiant collective states for precision sensing via transmission spectra

Diego Zafra-Bono1,2,*, Oriol Rubies-Bigorda2,3, and Susanne F. Yelin2

  • *Contact author: diegozafrabono@gmail.com
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Phys. Rev. A 114, 013704 – Published 6 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/rprq-bp61

Abstract

When an ensemble of quantum emitters interacts with a common radiation field, their emission becomes collective, giving rise to superradiant and subradiant states, characterized by broadened and narrowed linewidths. In this work, we propose to harness subradiant states for quantum metrology; such states naturally arise in subwavelength-spaced atomic arrays in free space and in ensembles of emitters coupled to one-dimensional waveguides. We demonstrate that their collective optical response yields sharp, narrow features in the transmittance spectrum, which can be used to enhance sensitivity to external perturbations. This improved sensitivity can be applied to atomic clock operation and enables precise detection of both global and spatially varying frequency shifts—such as those induced by electromagnetic fields or gravitational gradients—and phases of the propagating light field at the emitter positions.

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Phys. Rev. A 114, 013704– Published 6 July, 2026
  • Received 13 December 2025
  • Accepted 11 June 2026
Article part of CHORUS
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