Counterintuitive versus regular inversionless gain in a coherently prepared ladder scheme

In this research we study lasing without population inversion from a three-level atom interacting with two laser fields, in the ladder or cascade scheme. We investigate counterintuitive sequencing as well as regular sequencing of the time of laser fields application. In a counterintuitive sequence scheme a short probe pulse is introduced prior to the application of the coupling field, in contrast, to a standard sequence scheme, where both fields are introduced at the same time. The influence of varying the probe pulse width and time delay between the initiation of probe and coupling fields on transient probe gain is investigated. The calculations indicate the potential of producing gain without inversion via counterintuitive sequence scheme.     

A time convolution less density matrix approach to the nonlinear optical response of a coupled system-bath complex

Time convolution less density matrix theory (TCL) is a powerful and well established tool to investigate strong system-bath coupling for linear optical spectra. We show that TCL equations can be generalised to the nonlinear optical response up to a chosen order in the optical field. This goal is achieved via an time convolution less perturbation scheme for the reduced density matrices of the electronic system. In our approach, the most important results are the inclusion of a electron-phonon coupling non-diagonal in the electronic states and memory effects of the bath: First, the considered model system is introduced. Second, the time evolution of the statistical operator is expanded with respect to the external optical field. This expansion is the starting point to explain how a TCL theory can treat the response up to in a certain order in the external field. Third, new TCL equations, including bath memory effects, are derived and the problem of information loss in the reduced density matrix is analysed. For this purpose, new dimensions are added to the reduced statistical operator to compensate lack of information in comparison with the full statistical operator. The theory is benchmarked with a two level system and applied to a three level system including non-diagonal phonon coupling. In our analysis of pump-probe experiments, the bath memory is influenced by the system state occupied between pump and probe pulse. In particular, the memory of the bath influences the dephasing process of electronic coherences developing during the time interval between pump and probe pulses.     

Polarization decay of pulses of electromagnetically induced transparency on J=0→J=1→J=2 degenerate quantum transitions

The evolution of radiation under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency in the scheme of degenerate quantum transitions J = 0 → J = 1 → J = 2 in the pulsed interaction regime of the fields and with allowance for the Doppler broadening of spectral lines has been analyzed numerically. It has been shown that, if the input coupling radiation is linearly polarized, the circularly polarized input probe pulse splits in the medium into pulses with mutually perpendicular linear polarizations. The direction of polarization of one of these pulses coincides with the direction of polarization of the input coupling field. The distance that the probe pulse travels in the medium until it completely decays decreases with a decrease in both the duration of the input probe pulse and the intensity of the input coupling radiation. A change in the power of the input probe pulse hardly affects the distance required for the decay and the velocity of propagation of linearly polarized pulses in the medium. An increase in the Doppler broadening of spectral lines leads to a decrease in this distance and, simultaneously, to an increase in the energy losses of the probe radiation. Qualitative considerations that explain the physical reason for the investigated effects have been presented.     

Counterintuitive gain without inversion enhancement in pulsed fields sequence

Ultrashort pulse counterintuitive sequencing of three level lambda scheme shows five fold enhancement of the amplification without inversion on the probe transition. Introducing a short pulse weak probe field prior to the strong pump field results in an enhanced dispersion and stronger amplification on the probe field. The presence of an incoherent pump populating the upper level is crucial to the amplification. Parametric study of this effect is briefly presented.     

A scheme for ultrashort X-ray lasing without inversion

A scheme for obtaining a laser without inversion in the deep X-ray regime is proposed based on the principle of gain without inversion. A ladder scheme is proposed in the Ar⁸⁺ system. In this system, conventional lasing with population inversion in a neonlike scheme is used. This lasing field is proposed for the drive field on the higher transition of the ladder. A coherent field obtained in the high harmonics ultrashort laser provides the probe field to be amplified. The ground level is incoherently pumped into the highest level, while the latter is incoherently depumped into the ground level, at a different adjustable rate. A detailed density matrix calculation of the ladder configuration is performed [3], and the conditions under which the system exhibits inversionless gain, as well as regular gain, are derived. Numerical calculations in the bare state picture exhibits gain without inversion both at resonance and at the generalized Rabi side bands. The probe lineshape is shown to be constructed of two symmetrical dispersionlike features each centered at the generalized Rabi side bands. This is evidence of the quantum interference occurring at these locations and the basis for the gain without inversion.     

Invariant‐Based Pulse Design for Three‐Level Systems Without the Rotating‐Wave Approximation

In this paper, a scheme is put forward to design pulses which drive a three‐level system based on the reverse engineering with Lewis‐Riesenfeld invariant theory. The scheme can be applied to a three‐level system even when the rotating‐wave approximation (RWA) can not be used. The amplitudes of pulses and the maximal values of detunings in the system could be easily controlled by adjusting control parameters. We analyze the dynamics of the system by an invariant operator, so additional couplings are unnecessary. Moreover, the approaches to avoid singularity of pulses are studied and several useful results are obtained. We hope the scheme could contribute to fast quantum information processing without RWA.     

Light storage via slow-light four-wave mixing

We experimentally demonstrate a light storage via slow-light four-wave mixing in a solid-state medium with a four-level double lambda scheme. Using slow light based on electromagnetically induced transparency, we obtain a slowed four-wave mixing signal pulse together with the slowed probe pulse. During the propagation of light pulses, the storage and retrieval of both the slowed four-wave mixing pulse and the slowed probe pulse are studied by manipulating the intensities of the control fields.     

Coherent population transfer in four-level ladder systems by single frequency-chirped laser pulse

Adiabatic passage induced by a frequency-chirped laser pulse in four-level ladder systems is investigated. Two different strategies for efficient population transfer (intuitive and counterintuitive laser pulse) are analyzed. For the larger detuning, the four-level ladder system can be reduced to a two-level system with which we are familiar. For the smaller detuning, the main conditions for realization of population transfer are the following: the width of the transform-limited laser pulse envelope frequency spectrum (without chirp) must be smaller and the peak Rabi frequency of the pulse must be larger than the detuning ε₂₁ and ε₂₁∼ε₃₂ in the case of the three-photon resonance. With this laser pulse, it is possible to achieve complete population via the intermediate levels by three successive adiabatic passages. Complete inversion is also obtained by a counterintuitive direction of the frequency sweep.     

Photon echo without a free induction decay in a double-Λ system

We have characterized a novel photon-echo pulse sequence for a double-Λ-type energy level system where the input and rephasing transitions are different from the applied π pulses. We show that, despite having imperfect π-pulses associated with large coherent emission due to free induction decay (FID), the noise added in the echo mode is only 0.2 ± 0.1 photons per shot, compared to 4 × 10? photons in the FID modes. Using this echo pulse sequence in the "rephased amplified spontaneous emission" (RASE) scheme [Phys. Rev. A 81, 012301 (2010)] will allow for generation of entangled photon pairs that are in different frequency, temporal, and potentially spatial modes to any bright driving fields. The coherence and efficiency properties of this sequence were characterized in a Pr(3+):Y?SiO? crystal.     

Phase control of squeezed state in double electromagnetically induced transparency system with a loop-transition structure

We theoretically study the squeezed probe light passing through a double electromagnetically induced transparency (DEIT) system, in which a microwave field and two coupling lights drive a loop transition. It is shown that the output squeezing can be maintained in both two transparency windows of DEIT, and it can also be manipulated by the relative phase of the three driving fields. The influence of the intensity of applied fields and the optical depth of atoms on the squeezing is also investigated. This study offers possibilities to manipulate the squeezing propagation in atomic media by the phase of electromagnetic fields.     

Enhancement of coherent population transfer in a double Λ-type four-level system via a train of pulse pairs

We propose a flexible way to significantly enhance population transfer efficiency with a train of time-separated pump-Stokes pulse pairs when the non-adiabatic coupling between two degenerate adiabatic states exists in a double Λ-type four-level system, where the pump and Stokes pulses in each pair can be applied in either counterintuitive or intuitive order. It is shown that the needed Rabi frequency for achieving complete population transfer can be reduced dramatically with the increase of number of pump-Stokes pulse pairs, which results from temporal constructive quantum interference between the sequential transitions and subsequent coherent accumulation; moreover, an arbitrary coherent superposition between the two lower states can be realized by suitably tuning the Rabi frequency and the time delay between each pump-Stokes pair. The method may find applications in control of chemical reactions, quantum optics, and quantum information processing.     

基于强耦合Duffing振子的微弱脉冲信号检测与参数估计

耦合Duffing振子在检测强噪声中的微弱脉冲信号时具有可检测信噪比低等优点,但目前检测模型还存在系统性能与初始状态有关、只能工作在倍周期分岔状态等缺陷.为此本文构建了一种能克服上述缺点的新的微弱脉冲信号检测模型,通过对两个Duffing振子同时施加较大的恢复力和阻尼力耦合,可使振子间产生广义的"阱内失同步"现象,基于这种现象可实现微弱脉冲信号的检测与恢复.以信噪比改善和波形相似度为衡量指标,研究了周期策动力幅值与周期、耦合系数、计算步长、阻尼系数等参量对模型信号检测与波形恢复效果的影响.对方波、双指数脉冲和高斯导数脉冲进行检测和恢复的实验结果表明,本文所构建的模型能够在较低信噪比条件下有效地检测并恢复出高斯白噪声背景中的微弱脉冲信号,进而改善了现有的Duffing振子对非周期脉冲信号的检测能力并扩展了其应用领域.     

基于TPG2000的三路输出线理论设计与仿真

基于单台脉冲功率源产生多路电子束驱动多路微波器件的构想,提出了一种三路螺旋线输出方案,三路脉冲是由同一主脉冲产生,具有时间同步精度高的特点。以Tesla型脉冲功率源TPG2000为基础,经过理论计算,给出了三路输出线理论设计结果,对脉冲传输过程进行了建模仿真和结构优化,得到了三路参数相同的脉冲,其中两路脉冲比另一路延迟20 ns。     

Semi-adiabatic Shinnar–Le Roux pulses and their application to diffusion tensor imaging of humans at 7T

The adiabatic Shinnar–Le Roux (SLR) algorithm for radiofrequency (RF) pulse design enables systematic control of pulse parameters such as bandwidth, RF energy distribution and duration. Some applications, such as diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at high magnetic fields, would benefit from RF pulses that can provide greater B₁ insensitivity while adhering to echo time and specific absorption rate (SAR) limits. In this study, the adiabatic SLR algorithm was employed to generate 6-ms and 4-ms 180° semi-adiabatic RF pulses which were used to replace the refocusing pulses in a twice-refocused spin echo (TRSE) diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging (DW-EPI) sequence to create two versions of a twice-refocused adiabatic spin echo (TRASE) sequence. The two versions were designed for different trade-offs between adiabaticity and echo time. Since a pair of identical refocusing pulses is applied, the quadratic phase imposed by the first is unwound by the second, preserving the linear phase created by the excitation pulse. In vivo images of the human brain obtained at 7 Testa (7 T) demonstrate that both versions of the TRASE sequence developed in this study achieve more homogeneous signal in the diffusion-weighted images than the conventional TRSE sequence. Semi-adiabatic SLR pulses offer a more B₁-insensitive solution for diffusion preparation at 7 T, while operating within SAR constraints. This method may be coupled with any EPI readout trajectory and parallel imaging scheme to provide more uniform coverage for diffusion tensor imaging at 7 T and 3 T.     

Dressed states analysis of lasing without population inversion in a three-level ladder scheme: Approximate analytic time dependent solutions

A dressed-state study of lasing without population inversion from a three level atom interacting with a bi-chromatic laser field, in the ladder configuration, is formulated. We allow the atomic system to be dressed by both laser filed photons (double dressing). The evolution of the system under consideration is being explored both analytically and numerically, within the transient regime. Time dependent approximate analytic solutions for dressed-state populations and coherences are derived, within the so called “secular approximation,” under resonant conditions. We also present time dependent numerical solutions for population and coherences in the off-resonance regime. A spectral analysis is also performed revealing the structure of various dressed states transitions. These are shown to be composed of quintets centered about the frequencies of the coupling and probe laser fields and having sidebands located symmetrically at positions shifted from line center at the Rabi and double Rabi frequencies.     

Coherence generation and population transfer in a three-level ladder system

This work explores the effect of spontaneous emission on coherence generation and population transfer in a threelevel ladder atomic system driven by two pulses in counterintuitive order.With adiabatic evolution and the weakdephasing approximation,we find that a large coherence and population transfer can be achieved even with spontaneous decay rate.The maximum coherence and population transfer decrease with the increase of spontaneous decay rate from the highest state to intermediate state.But this effect can be compensated by shortening the pulse width and enlarging the delay time.Results show that the coherence generation and population transfer never depend on the spontaneous decay rate from the intermediate state to ground state.The validity of the analytic solution is examined by numerical calculation.     

Suppression of probe background signals via B(1) field inhomogeneity

A new approach combining a long pulse with the DEPTH sequence (Cory and Ritchey, Journal of Magnetic Resonance, 1988) greatly improves the efficiency for suppressing probe background signals arising from spinning modules. By applying a long initial excitation pulse in the DEPTH sequence, instead of a π/2 pulse, the inhomogeneous B(1) fields outside the coil can dephase the background coherence in the nutation frame. The initial long pulse and the following two consecutive EXORCYCLE π pulses function complementarily and prove most effective in removing background signals from both strong and weak B? fields. Experimentally, the length of the long pulse can be optimized around odd multiples of the π/2 pulse, depending on the individual probe design, to preserve signals inside the coil while minimizing those from probe hardware. This method extends the applicability of the DEPTH sequence to probes with small differences in B? field strength between the inside and outside of the coil, and can readily combine with well-developed double resonance experiments for quantitative measurement. In general, spin systems with weak internal interactions are required to attain efficient and uniform excitation for powder samples, and the principles to determine the applicability are discussed qualitatively in terms of the relative strength of spin interactions, r.f. power and spinning rate.     

Optical switching by controlling the double-dark resonances in a N-tripod five-level atom

We have investigated the optical switching in a five-level atom in a novel configuration of electromagnetically induced transparency. This N-tripod type level scheme combines the attractive features of cross-phase modulation appearing in N-type atoms with the ability to slow light pulses associated with tripod atoms. The addition of a new driving field to the usual tripod configuration allows to control the double-dark resonances which appear in the four-level tripod system and thus enables to manipulate the probe absorption and dispersion properties. We have studied the temporal dynamics of two pulses, a probe pulse and a switch propagating pulse through the sample. In the presence of the switching field, a deep in the absorption at resonance due to one-photon electromagnetically induced transparency appears and the atomic system is transparent to the probe field, which propagates at a very small group velocity. By tuning the fields, one of the usual double-dark resonances appearing in tripod system can be controlled (Stark-shifted) and the medium, which is transparent in the absence of the control field, will become highly absorptive. The linear and cross-phase modulation susceptibilities have been calculated and we predict the possibility to realize two-photon switching and giant cross-phase modulation. Finally we address the question about the generation of an entangled coherent state and we show that the giant cross-phase modulation provided by this N-tripod atomic system can be used for realizing polarization quantum phase gates.     

Intraband dynamics and terahertz emission in biased semiconductor superlattices coupled to double far-infrared pulses

This paper studies both the intraband polarization and terahertz emission of a semiconductor superlattice in combined dc and ac electric fields by using the superposition of two identical time delayed and phase shifted optical pulses. By adjusting the delay between these two optical pulses, our results show that the intraband polarization is sensitive to the time delay. The peak values appear again for the terahertz emission intensity due to the superposition of two optical pulses. The emission lines of terahertz blueshift and redshift in different ac electric fields and dynamic localization appears. The emission lines of THz only appear to blueshift when the biased superlattice is driven by a single optical pulse. Due to excitonic dynamic localization, the terahertz emission intensity decays with time in different dc and ac electric fields. These are features of this superlattice which distinguish it from a superlattice generated by a single optical pulse to drive it.     

相干诱导冷原子微腔中的动态光存储

将行波耦合激光、驻波光栅激光和静磁场作用于一个超冷原子系综,获得了由两个Bragg反射区和一个电磁感应透明区构成的动态可控光学微腔。对耦合激光、光栅激光和静磁场进行时间调制,将一个弱探测激光送入这一相干诱导光学微腔,使其形成周期振荡,然后再根据需要在一定时间延迟之后将其导出,将这一伴随着较弱能量损耗的探测脉冲受限传播过程视为一个有效的动态光存储机制。对提出的信息存储机制进行了数值模拟,讨论了它的优点和实用价值,提出了它的发展前景。