Abstract. In this work it is demonstrated that the atom–field bound state created via interaction with bandgap field reservoirs is robust with respect to the atomic dephasing and losses of the reservoir's modes. Both the atomic excited state population and the degree of entanglement of the atom–field bound state tend to decay with rates much smaller than modal decay rates. Direct atomic damping leads to much quicker destruction of the atom–field bound state. Also in the work, conditions of the atom–field bound state formation in the presence of damping are derived.

Keywords: photonic crystals, the atom–photon bound state, Markovian losses

Print publication: Issue 9 (September 2005)
Received 10 February 2005, accepted for publication 9 June 2005
Published 23 August 2005