Generation of entanglement density within a reservoir

We study a single two-level atom interacting with a reservoir of modes defined by its reservoir structure function. Within this framework we are able to define a density of entanglement involving a continuum of reservoir modes. The density of entanglement is derived for a system with a single excitation by taking a limit of the global entanglement. Utilizing the density of entanglement we quantify the entanglement between the atom and the modes, and also between the reservoir modes themselves. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd.