Theoretical quantum optics with giant atoms

Abstract: Giant atoms have emerged as new paradigm in quantum optics during the last decade. These are quantum emitters that couple to light—or other bosonic fields—at multiple discrete points, which can be spaced wavelengths apart. In the short time since the giant-atom regime was first reached, it has been shown that they offer more possibilities for design, control, manipulation, and tunabilily than small atoms do, which makes them promising assets for quantum technologies. At the same time, due to the novelty of the field, most works to date have only studied giant atoms in relatively simple setups, e.g., coupled to open continuous waveguides. Thus, the papers appended here are an attempt to broaden the field by studying giant atoms in environments that have not been explored in depth before: continuous waveguides with chiral coupling and structured waveguides. In this thesis, we contextualize the papers with regards to previously-existing knowledge and future applications in the fields of quantum optics and quantum technology. We also provide a detailed description of the analytical tools that are necessary to derive the results of the appended papers: we delve into Lindbladian master equations, SLH formalism, and resolvent formalism, and we focus particularly on the underlying assumptions and approximations behind these techniques.