The fully quantum-electrodynamical model of a two-level atom interacting with a single-cavity mode predicts an atomic evolution whose form is dictated by the discrete nature of the field energy and its statistical distribution. We demonstrate that the revivals of atomic excitation which are the signature of the quantum nature of the evolution are strongly affected by field dissipation even when the damping hardly affects the underlying Rabi oscillations.

• Received 6 January 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.33.2444