Coherence of resonant light-matter interaction in the strong-coupling limit

We explore the role of quantum fluctuations in the strong-coupling limit of the dissipative Jaynes–Cummings oscillator driven on resonance. For weak excitation, we derive analytical expressions for the spectrum and the intensity correlation function for the photons scattered by the two-state atom coupled to the coherently driven cavity mode. We do so by writing down a birth–death process adding the higher orders in the excitation strength needed to go beyond the pure-state factorization, following the method introduced in Carmichael (2008). Our results for the first and second-order correlation functions are complemented by the numerical investigation of the waiting-time distribution for the photon emissions directed sideways, and the comparison with ordinary resonance fluorescence. To close out our discussion, we increase the driving field amplitude and approach the critical point organizing a second-order dissipative quantum phase transition by depicting the excitation pathways in the intracavity field distribution for a finite system size. •We explore aspects of coherence in the strong-coupling limit of the open driven Jaynes–Cummings model.•We provide analytical formulas for the spectrum and intensity correlations of the fluorescent field.•We transition from weak-excitation to the onset of phase bimodality for a finite system size.•We present our results in the framework of single-atom dissipative quantum phase transitions.