Abstract
The deterministic generation of multiexcitation subradiant states proves to be challenging. Here, we present a viable path towards their transient generation in finite-sized ordered arrays of dipole-dipole coupled quantum emitters, based on incoherent driving of the atomic ensemble. In particular, we show that a maximal coupling to long-lived subradiant states is achieved if only half of the atoms are initially excited. We characterize the nature of the resulting states by calculating the dynamic fluorescence spectrum of the emitted light. Finally, we elucidate the role of coherent interactions during the decay process of sufficiently dense atomic arrays, which result in a coherently driven radiation burst that leads to a subsequent reduction of the chances to prepare multiexcitation subradiant states.