Experimental Observation of Constructive Quantum Interference via Hybrid Excitation in an Na2-Na System

We report on an experimental observation of constructive quantum interference between two atomic transition pathways 3P1/2-5S (or 4D) and 3P3/2-5S (or 4D) via equal-frequency hybrid excitation and collision-aided radiative excitation in an Na2-Na system.Through the special excitation processes,constructive quantum interference is realized for a Λ-type quantum-beat configuration with a widely-spaced doublet (about 17cm^-1) in the excited sodium atom driven by one laser.The dependences of quantum interference on the argon buffer gas pressure and sample temperature are also examined.     

Electromagnetically induced transparency based six-wave mixing in a Doppler-broadened folded four-level system

We study phase-conjugate six-wave mixing spectroscopy based on electromagnetically-induced-transparency in a Doppler-broadened folded four-level system.It is found that the six-wave mixing spectrum can be either Doppler-free or very broad,depending on whether the interference between the polarisations of atoms with different velocities is constructive or destructive.To obtain the Doppler-free six-wave mixing spectrum in the folded four-level system,the conditions are more stringent in comparison with those in the cascade and N-type four-level systems.This polarisation interference can be controlled in the presence of a strong coupling field.     

Effect of Quantum Interference from Incoherent Pumping Field and Spontaneous Emission on Controlling the Optical Bistability and Multi-Stability

Optical bistability (OB) and optical multi-stability (OM) of a four-level Λ-type atomic system with two fold lower levels inside a unidirectional ring cavity is investigated. The effect of quantum interference arising from spontaneous emission and incoherent pumping on OB and OM is discussed. It is found that the threshold of OB and OM can be controlled by quantum interference mechanisms. In addition intensity of coupling field and the rate of an incoherent pumping field on behavior of OB and OM are then discussed.     

A 657-nm narrow bandwidth interference filter-stabilized diode laser

We present a 657-nm external cavity diode laser (ECDL) system,where the output frequency is stabilized by a narrow-band high transmission interference filter.This novel diode laser system emits laser with an instantaneous linewidth of 7 kHz and a broadened linewidth of 432 kHz.     

Controlling the gain shape of Er^3＋—doped fluorozirconate fibre amplifier by a coherent field

We proposed a four-level system to explore the quantum interference effects on optical amplification.We found that the gain of the probe.including positions and values of gain peaks,can be adjusted by changing the coherent field and the incoherent pumping.At the same time,we can also modify the absorption profile of electromagnetically induced transparency by the incoherent pump.The results provide a method to flatten the gain of Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers.     

Light-Induced Array of Three-Dimensional Waveguides in Lithium Niobate by Employing Two-Beam Interference Field

We propose a novel approach to fabricate an array of three-dimensional waveguides in lithium niobate by employing illuminations of a pair of mutually coherent or incoherent two-beam interference patterns. Adjusting periods of the patterns and the angle between the grating vectors of the two patterns, we find that arrays of square, rectangular or parallelogrammic waveguides can be created. An array of rectangular waveguides is demonstrated in an iron doped lithium niobate by the double exposures of two-beam interference patterns with different orientations. The measured index distribution and the guiding test results show that the waveguide array is successfully fabricated.     

Quantum interference effects on the probe amplification without and with inversion in a four-level system

A four-level system driven by two coherent fields is considered. It is shown that in the presence of an incoherent pump, the probe gain at a short wavelength can be achieved due to the quantum interference. Our density matrix calculation provides the conditions for probe amplification from different origins, including gain without population inversion on any state basis, gain with population inversion on the dressed-state basis, and gain with population inversion on the bare-state basis. Also, by controlling the Rabi frequency of the coupling field a total change from non-inversion to inversion can be achieved which does not depend on the intensity of the incoherent pump.     

Probing Energy Spectrum of Quadruple Quantum Dots with Microwave Field

A double quantum dot defines a qubit by a two-level system. The coupling between two qubits induces a double two-level system into a four-level system. We study experimentally the coupling between two capacitive coupled GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum dots while tuning the energy detuning of each double quantum dot simultaneously. Applying microwave photons （at a frequency of 20 GHz） on this system and observing the resonance tunneling with a quantum point contact detector, we obtain an excitation spectrum which is consistent with the numerical simuIation result of a coupled two-qubit Hamiltonian. This study demonstrates that a double quantum dot can be exploited as an extraordinary platform for controlled quantum gates.     

Field-free molecular orientation induced by combined femtosecond single- and dual-color laser pulses：The role of delay time and quantum interference

The coherent control of field-free molecular orientation of CO with combined femtosecond single- and dual-color laser pulses has been theoretically studied. The effect of the delay time between the femtosecond single- and dual-color laser pulses is discussed, and the physical mechanism of the enhancement of molecular orientation with pre-alignment of the molecule is investigated. It is found that the basic mechanism is based on the creation of a rotational wave packet by the femtosecond single-color laser pulse. Furthermore, we investigate the interference between multiple rotational excitation pathways following pre-alignment with femtosecond single-color laser pulse. It is shown that such interference can lead to an enhancement of the orientation of CO molecule by a factor of 1.6.     

From electromagnetically induced transparency to absorption in planar optical metamaterials

We theoretically investigate the classical analog of electromagnetically induced transparency （EIT） and electromagnetically induced absorption （EIA） in a planar metamaterial at optical frequency, which origi- hates from destructive and constructive interference between dark and radiative elements. The metama- terial consists of two coupled resonators with different geometries. An EIT-like transparent window with low absorption is observed and found to be strongly affected by resonant states of the resonators. The transition between the EIT and EIA is achieved by changing the split width and coupling distance. The absorption is enhanced up to 2.5 times compared with the dipolar case. The excitation of the dark mode is very important for EIT- and EIA-like responses of the proposed metamaterial. The EIT and EIA phenom- ena offer a potential method for manipulating electromagnetic response in metamaterial-based devices.     

Competition between Quantum Interference and Stimulated Electronic Raman Scattering Processes via Hybrid Excitation in a Na2-Na System

An experimental observation of the competition between quantum interference and stimulated electronic Raman scattering (SERS) via equal-frequency hybrid excitation and collision-aided radiative excitation in a Na2-Na system is reported for the first time.It is found that the SERS for 3P1/2,3/2-4P are suppressed and the optically pumped stimulated emission (OPSE) for 5S-4P are enhanced dramatically at a particular excitation wavelength where constructive quantum interference between two transitions 3P1/2-5S and 3P3/2-5S in atomic sodium takes place.A theoretical analysis based on the dressed-atom approach is carried out to explain the experimental results.     

Competition between Quantum Interference and Stimulated Electronic Raman Scattering Processes via Hybrid Excitation in a Na_2-Na System

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Spectroscopy of the three-photon laser excitation of cold Rubidium Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap

The spectra of the three-photon laser excitation 5S _1/2 → 5P _3/2 → 6S _1/2 nP of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in an operating magneto-optical trap based on continuous single-frequency lasers at each stage are studied. These spectra contain two partly overlapping peaks of different amplitudes, which correspond to coherent three-photon excitation and incoherent three-step excitation due to the presence of two different ways of excitation through the dressed states of intermediate levels. A four-level theoretical model based on optical Bloch equations is developed to analyze these spectra. Good agreement between the experimental and calculated data is achieved by introducing additional decay of optical coherence induced by a finite laser line width and other broadening sources (stray electromagnetic fields, residual Doppler broadening, interatomic interactions) into the model.     

Oscillator strength measurements of the 4s5s 3S1 → 4snp 3Po2 Rydberg transitions of zinc

In the present experimental work, oscillator strengths of the 4s5s ³S₁ → 4snp ³P^o₂ (18?≤?n?≤?53) Rydberg transitions of zinc are reported. The stepwise laser excitation from the ground state 4s^{2 1}S₀ was achieved using three dye laser beams simultaneously pumped by the second (532?nm) and third (355?nm) harmonics of a Q-switched Nd: YAG (Neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) laser. The vapor containment and detection system was a single wire thermionic diode ion detector operating in space charge limited mode. A trend of the above-mentioned f-values from n?=?18 to 53 versus the principle quantum number n has been presented. Furthermore, continuity has been verified between the discrete f-values and the oscillator strength density at the threshold.     

The study of two-color excitation upconversion of Pr(0.5)Yb(3):ZBLAN

The excited state absorption upconversion of Pr(0.5)Yb(3):ZBLAN glass material, under two-color excitation of the 960 nm semiconductor laser and the Xe lamp light simultaneously, is reported in this article. It was found that the upconversion emission spectra of 480.1, 519.0, 601.9 and 631.8 nm coincide with the common emission spectra. Meanwhile, the upconversion-excitation spectrum has three obvious peaks under two-color excitation, and they respectively correspond to the 856.0 nm upconversion excitation transition [¹G₄(Pr³⁺)→¹I₆(Pr³⁺) and ¹G₄(Pr³⁺)→³P₁(Pr³⁺)], the 789.0 nm upconversion excitation transition ¹G₄(Pr³⁺)→³P₂(Pr³⁺), and the 803.7 nm upconversion excitation transition ³H₆(Pr³⁺)→¹D₂(Pr³⁺). The upconversion excitation transition ¹G₄(Pr³⁺)→¹I₆(Pr³⁺) is strong because its oscillator strength f = 23.040×10⁻⁶ is large, which results in a large peak appearing in the upconversion excitation spectrum. That is just the new interesting two-color excitation upconversion luminescence phenomenon of Pr(0.5)Yb(3):ZBLAN induced by one laser and one continuous normal light simultaneously.     

Temporal coherent control induced by wave packet interferences in one and two photon atomic transitions

The interaction of a sequence of two identical ultrashort laser pulses with an atomic system results in quantum interferences as in Ramsey fringes experiments. These interferences allow achievement of temporal coherent control of the excitation probability. We present the results of a temporal coherent control experiment on two different atomic systems: one-photon absorption in K (4s-4p) and two-photon absorption in Cs (6s-7d). In K, the quantum interferences between the two excitation paths associated with the laser pulses are revealed through rapid oscillations of the excitation probability as a function of the time delay between the two pulses. These oscillations take place at the transition frequency (period T = 2.56 fs). The interferences are modulated by beats (at about 580 fs) resulting from the doublet structure of the excited state (4p (² P _1/2 , ² P _3/2 )). Three complementary interpretations of this experiment are presented: in terms of beats of quantum interferences, of variation in the spectrum intensity, and of wave packet interferences. Whenever the two laser pulses are temporally overlapped, optical interferences are superimposed on to the quantum interferences. The distinction between these two types of interference is clearly revealed in the two-photon excitation scheme performed on Cs (6s-7d (² D _3/2 , ² D _5/2 )) because quantum interferences occur at twice the frequency of the optical interferences. Received: 30 December 1997 / Revised: 28 February 1998 / Accepted: 4 March 1998     

Coherent control of interference processes in radiative decays

Possibility of coherent control of spontaneous emission from four- and five-level system in the laser radiation field is studied. The four-level system consists of two levels resonantly driven by laser radiation where either of levels may decay to a separate level. For such a system, we show that the presence of the second decay channel may deteriorate the destructive interference occurring in case of one decay channel because of Autler-Townes effect. The five-level diagram represents two two-level resonantly driven systems with the upper levels decaying to a common level. For this diagram, interference between the two decay channels takes place and it is partially or completely destructive or constructive depending on the initial conditions and on the mutual orientation of the transition dipole moments. It is shown that population transfer takes place by the same quantum vacuum via spontaneous emission. The populations are shown to have damping oscillatory nature.     

T/D isotope selectivity in CO2 laser induced multiple-frequency multiphoton dissociation of trifluoromethane-T

Isotope-selective multiphoton dissociation of CTF₃ in the presence of CDF₃ by TEA CO₂ laser is studied. The highest T/D selectivity of 58 was observed at a sample pressure of 2 Torr in the presence of 20 Torr of argon on excitation by the 9P(24) CO₂ laser line. The effect of multiple-frequency irradiation on selectivity is studied in the P and Q branches of the v ₂ absorption band of CTF₃. No improvement in the selectivity is noticed on going from single- to multiple-frequency irradiation. These results are compared with previous multiple-frequency work on the CTF₃/CHF₃ system, and explained in terms of strong spectroscopic interference from ¹³CDF₃ in the present case.     

Femtosecond laser pulse train effect on Doppler profile of cesium resonance lines

We present direct observation of the velocity-selective optical pumping of the Cs ground state hyperfine levels induced by the femtosecond (fs) laser oscillator centered at either D2 (6 ²S_1/2↦6 ²P_3/2, 852 nm) or D1 (6 P_1/2, 894 nm) cesium line. We utilized previously developed modified direct frequency comb spectroscopy (DFCS) which uses a fixed frequency comb for the excitation and a weak cw scanning probe laser centered at the ¹³³Cs 6 ²S_1/2↦6 ²P_3/2 transition (D2 line) for ground levels population monitoring. The frequency comb excitation changes the usual Doppler absorption profile into a specific periodic, comblike structure. The mechanism of the velocity selective population transfer between the Cs ground state hyperfine levels induced by fs pulse train excitation is verified in a theoretical treatment of the multilevel atomic system subjected to a pulse train resonant field interaction.     

Measurement of cross-section of excitation transfer from 3s2 to 4s1 and 5s1 energy levels of neon

Collision induced non-radiative transitions in neon plasma have been studied using high intra-cavity radiation field of a 633 nm He-Ne laser. The transitions, induced from 3s ₂ energy level to 4s₁ and 5s₁ groups of energy levels, have been detected as changes in intensities of the spectral lines originating from these energy levels. From these intensity measurements, the quantities governing the transitions i.e. (i)S ₃ ^e /S _3RT , the ratio of the probabilities of electronic deexcitation to the total radiative deexcitation of energy level 3 (ii) 〈r ₂₃ ^e v _e〉, rate of excitation transfer per particle and (iii)S ₂₃ ^e , the total probability for excitation transfer from level 2 to level 3 at a certain value of electron density have been calculated.