Two coupled nonlinear cavities in a driven-dissipative environment

We investigate two coupled nonlinear cavities that are coherently driven in a dissipative environment. We perform semiclassical, numerical, and analytical quantum studies of this dimer model when both cavities are symmetrically driven. In the semiclassical analysis, we find steady-state solutions with different photon occupations in two cavities. Such states can be considered analogs of the closed system double-well symmetry-breaking states. We analyze the occurrence and properties of these localized states in the system parameter space and examine how the symmetry-breaking states, in the form of a bistable pair, are associated with the single-cavity bistable behavior. In a full quantum calculation of the master equation dynamics that includes quantum fluctuations, the symmetry-breaking states and bistability disappear due to the quantum fluctuations. In the quantum trajectory picture, we observe enhanced quantum jumps and switching, which indicate the presence of the underlying semiclassical symmetry-breaking states. Finally, we present a set of analytical solutions for the steady-state correlation functions by using the complex P representation and discuss its regime of validity.