2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/125123We investigate conditions under which multiatom absorption of a single photon leads to cooperative decay. Our analysis reveals the symmetry properties of the multiatom Dicke states underlying the cooperative decay dynamics and their spatio-temporal manifestations, particularly, the forward-directed spontaneous emission investigated by Scully et al.Misprints in Eqs. (8, 24-26) are correctedQuantum Physicstext