Meissner-like Currents of Photons in Anomalous Superradiant Phases

Linjun Li; Pengfei Huang; Zi-Xiang Hu; Yu-Yu Zhang

doi:10.1103/qj5x-t71k

← Back to search

Meissner-like Currents of Photons in Anomalous Superradiant Phases

Linjun Li, Pengfei Huang, Zi-Xiang Hu, Yu-Yu Zhang

DOI 10.1103/qj5x-t71k · Physical Review Letters

T1

Active bibliographic source — not scientific approval

Bibliographic access preserves source history; it does not approve extracted materials or validate reported claims. Review warnings on each occurrence separately.

Abstract

We present Meissner-like photon currents in a quantum Rabi zigzag chain under staggered synthetic magnetic fields. The ground state of the Meissner superradiant phase hosts persistent chiral edge currents in a sequence of cancellation of antiparallel vortex pairs, akin to surface currents of the Meissner effect in superconductors. The Meissner phase displays distinct vortex structures and anomalous scaling exponents, arising from geometric frustration effects. Modifying the staggered flux triggers transitions to even- or odd-vortex superradiant phases, where the chiral edge currents flow exclusively in even or odd cavities with localized vortices, respectively. Enhanced interspecies interactions induce the vanishing of currents in a ferromagnetic superradiant phase. Our results enable observation of stabilized photon vortices and edge currents with analogy to quantum Hall-like robustness in light-matter coupling systems.