Bosonic Mpemba effect with non-classical states of light

The Mpemba effect (ME) refers to the surprising observation where, under certain conditions, a far-from-equilibrium state can relax toward equilibrium faster than a state closer to equilibrium. A paradigmatic example is provided by the curious fact that hot water can sometimes freeze faster than cold water. The ME has intrigued scientists for a long time and has been predicted and observed in a variety of classical and quantum systems. Recently, the search for Mpemba-like effects of purely quantum nature has raised a major interest. Here, we predict the emergence of ME in the quantum optics context exploiting non-classical states of light. By analyzing the decay dynamics of photon fields in a leaky optical resonator or waveguide, it is demonstrated that bosonic ME emerges in the context of the quantum nature of light. In particular, the relaxation dynamics are strongly influenced by the photon statistics of the initially trapped light field. The ME is observed when comparing the decay dynamics of classical light fields (coherent states) with certain non-classical states, such as Fock states, squeezed states, and Schrödinger cat states.