Catalysis plays a key role in many scientific areas, most notably in chemistry and biology. Here we present a catalytic process in a paradigmatic quantum optics setup, namely the Jaynes-Cummings model, where an atom interacts with an optical cavity. The atom plays the role of the catalyst, and it allows for the deterministic generation of nonclassical light in the cavity. Considering a cavity prepared in a “classical” coherent state, and choosing appropriately the atomic state and the interaction time, we obtain an evolution with the following properties. First, the state of the cavity has been modified, and it now features nonclassicality, as witnessed by sub-Poissonian statistics or Wigner negativity. Second, the process is catalytic in the sense that the atom is deterministically returned to its initial state exactly, and it can be reused multiple times. What is more, we also show that our findings are robust under dissipation and can be applied to scenarios featuring cavity loss and atomic decay. Finally, we investigate the mechanism of this catalytic process, in particular highlighting the key role of correlations and quantum coherence. Published by the American Physical Society 2024