Propagation of light through dielectrics lies at the heart of optics. However, this ubiquitous process is commonly described using phenomenological dielectric function $varepsilon$ and magnetic permeability $mu$, i.e. without addressing the quantum graininess of the dielectric matter. Here, we present a theoretical study where we consider a one-dimensional ensemble of atoms in a subwavelength waveguide (nanoguide) as fundamental building blocks of a model dielectric. By exploring the roles of the atom-waveguide coupling efficiency, density, disorder, and dephasing, we establish connections among various features of polaritonic light-matter states such as localization, super and subradiance, and strong coupling. In particular, we show that coherent multiple scattering of light among atoms that are coupled via a single propagating mode can gives rise to Rabi splitting. These results provide important insight into the underlying physics of strong coupling reported by recent room-temperature experiments with microcavities and surface plasmons.
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