Solution of the two-qubit quantum Rabi model and its exceptional eigenstates

Abstract

We have studied the two-qubit quantum Rabi model in the asymmetric case and its generalizations with dipole and Heisenberg-type qubit-qubit interactions. The solutions are obtained analytically with eigenstates given in terms of the extended coherent states or photon number states. For identical qubit-photon couplings, a novel type of quasi-exact solution which exists for all coupling values with constant eigenenergy is found, leading to level crossings within the same parity subspace even for non-identical qubits. In contrast to the quasi-exact eigenstates of the single-qubit model, these exceptional eigenstates are formed by just a few Fock states (photon number bounded from above at one or three), and the condition for them depends only on a fine-tuning of the qubit level splittings with respect to the photon energy, but not on the coupling to the photon field if the qubit-qubit interaction is not taken into consideration. This makes them excellent candidates for direct experimental observation within circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) and application in single photon experiments. Besides, exceptional solutions with finite photon numbers N are also found.