Phase and amplitude control of the inversionless gain in a microwave-driven <Emphasis Type="Bold">Λ</Emphasis>-type atomic system

In order to achieve the phase-sensitive probe gain without population inversion, we investigate a three-level Λ-type atomic system driven by a coherent field and a microwave field. It is shown that, by modulating the relative phase of applied fields, we can obtain quite high inversionless gain at different probe detunings and change the gain behavior of the probe correspondingly. We find that amplitudes of the coherent field and the microwave field are also important factors that can result in different gain behavior of the probe. Here, we use the microwave field to induce the quantum coherence between the two ground levels, which is necessary for phase-sensitive effects, since it can result in the interference between two different transition channels. Received 20 June 2002 / Received in final form 5 December 2002 Published online 4 March 2003     

Absorption spectrum of a resonantly driven degenerate V-type atom with a dc-field coupling between excited states

We study the absorption spectra of a degenerate V-type atom, where a resonant driving field and a probe field drive different branches of transitions and a dc field is applied to drive the transition between two excited states. The effects of vacuum induced coherence (VIC) on the absorption spectra are investigated. It is demonstrated that in some special cases the VIC can lead to the depression of absorption and narrow resonance. The origin of these features are discussed. When the pump field and the dc field have the same intensity, it is interesting to find that the whole absorption spectrum comes mainly from the absorptions induced by the interferences among different transitions between dressed states.     

Enhanced narrow spectral line and double electromagnetically induced two-photon transparency induced by double dark resonances

We theoretically investigate the features of two-photon absorption in a five-level atomic system with interacting dark resonances. It is found that two-photon absorption can be completely suppressed at two different frequencies due to the application of two coherent coupling fields and the atomic system exhibits double electromagnetically induced transparency windows against two-photon absorption. The position and width of the double two-photon transparency windows can be controlled via properly adjusting the frequency detuning and the intensities of the two coupling fields. In addition, one enhanced narrow central line can be observed in the two-photon absorption spectra, which may find applications in high-precision spectroscopy. Form a physical point of view, we explicitly explain these results in terms of quantum interference induced by three different two-photon excitation channels in the dressed-state picture.     

Controllable shape-matched propagation of two signal beams in a double-Λ atomic ensemble

We study a four-level double-Λ atomic ensemble interacting with two time-dependent signal fields and two stationary control fields. Though, in each Λ channel, a pair of signal and control fields couple resonantly with the two lower levels of atoms, the occurrences of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is affected by the coherence of the four fields. In the discussion of atomic susceptibilities, we show that the quantum coherence between the two lower levels can be either formed or released according to the phase matching of the four fields. We analyze the propagation equation of the two signal fields, and find two characteristic solutions: the stationary transmission wave and the transient decay wave. The former corresponds to a correlated EIT effect in which two signal pulses are shape-matched. The latter is an opposite effect to the correlated EIT in which two pulses quench simultaneously, thus named as the correlated two-signal absorption (CTSA). We propose the CTSA condition in correspondence with the EIT condition. The numerical simulation shows that the double-Λ configuration is capable of manipulating synchronous optical signals and thus provides multiplicity and versatility in quantum information process.     

Study of width and height of EIT resonance in a Doppler broadened five-level system with varying probe power

We report the experimental observation of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a Doppler broadened rubidium vapour at room temperature for different probe intensities at a fixed pump intensity in a five-level Λ-type system formed by the D₂ transition of ⁸⁵Rb. For a constant pump intensity, we find that the EIT width and height change with the variation of probe intensity. We observe a nonlinear variation of the height of the EIT peak and a linear variation of the width (FWHM) of the EIT signal with probe intensity. In the Doppler broadened multilevel system, we also observe the velocity selective dips along with the EIT signal. A numerical simulation of the probe response signal based on density matrix representation in a five-level system is carried out to reproduce the experimentally observed spectra.     

Wavelength control in Er <Emphasis Type="Bold">3+</Emphasis>-doped fluoride glasses laser by a coherent field

A five-level system to control the wavelength of the in-line amplifier by the quantum interference is proposed. It is found that the gains of the first and the second probe can be adjusted by changing the coherent field and the incoherent pumping. The new scheme may find its application in optical switch and optical communications. Received 9 October 2002 Published online 24 April 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: qol@mail.jlu.edu.cn     

Effects of relative phase in an open ladder system without incoherent pumping

We studied effects of the relative phase between the probe and driving fields on the absorption and dispersion properties in an open three-level ladder system with spontaneously generated coherence but without incoherent pumping. It is shown that by the phase controlling, switching from absorption to lasing without inversion (LWI) and enhancing remarkablely LWI gain can be realized; large index of refraction with zero absorption and the electromagnetically induced transparency can be obtained. We also find that varying the atomic injection and exit rates has a considerable influence on the phase dependent-absorption property of the probe field, existent of the atomic injection and exit rates gives the necessary condition of the realization of LWI, getting LWI is impossible in the corresponding closed system without incoherent pumping.     

Cross phase modulation in a five–level atomic medium: semiclassical theory

The interaction of a five-level atomic system involving electromagnetically induced transparency with four light fields is investigated. Two different light-atom configurations are considered, and their efficiency in generating large nonlinear cross-phase shifts compared. The dispersive properties of those schemes are analyzed in detail, and the conditions leading to group velocity matching for two of the light fields are identified. An analytical treatment based on amplitude equations is used in order to obtain approximate solutions for the susceptibilities, which are shown to fit well with the numerical solution of the full Bloch equations in a large parameter region.     

Quantum memory process with a four-level atomic ensemble

We examine in detail the quantum memory technique for photons in a double Λ atomic ensemble in this work. The novel application of the present technique to create two different quantum probe fields as well as entangled states of them is proposed. A larger zero-degeneracy class besides dark-state subspace is investigated and the adiabatic condition is confirmed in the present model. We extend the single-mode quantum memory technique to the case with multi-mode probe fields, and reveal the exact pulse matching phenomenon between two quantized pulses in the present system.     

Effect of spontaneously generated coherence on EIT and its refractive properties in four- and five-levels systems

The effects of spontaneously generated coherence (SGC) and phases of optical fields on the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) are investigated in a four-level inverted-Y system and in a five-level K-type system under various parametric conditions in order to demonstrate controllability of the EIT, dispersion properties, and group velocity in such systems. Non-zero second-order susceptibility in both systems is due to the SGC effect. The experimental viability of the model in semiconductor quantum well systems is also discussed.     

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.     

Manipulating the phase of a single-mode micromaser by polarized three-level atoms

We investigate the phase probability distribution (PPD) of a single-mode micromaser pumped by atoms injected in the most general case, i.e. in the superposition of the upper, intermediate and lower states by the Monte Carlo wave function approach. The phase properties of the cavity mode are greatly influenced by the relative phases and the amplitudes of the polarized atoms, and the detunings between the atom and cavity. The cavity field has a single preferred phase if the cavity is pumped by the atoms in the superposition of the upper and intermediate states or of the intermediate and lower states. However, a double-peak feature appears in the PPD of the cavity field when the cavity is pumped by the atoms in the superposition of the upper and lower states. With appropriate detunings, the double peaks become narrower and more remarkable, which shows the better defined phase of the cavity field, as compared to the resonant case. The PPD displays complicated characteristics when the cavity is pumped by the atoms in the superposition of the upper, intermediate and lower states. The phase distribution changes from a single peak to double peaks and to another single peak when we modulate the phase of the intermediate state, which has been explained in the semi-classical radiation theory.     

Analytical study of four-wave mixing with large atomic coherence

Four-wave mixing in resonant atomic vapors based on maximum coherence induced by Stark-chirped rapid adiabatic passage (SCRAP) is investigated theoretically. We show the advantages of a coupling scheme involving maximum coherence and demonstrate how a large atomic coherence between a ground and an highly excited state can be prepared by SCRAP. Full analytic solutions of the field propagation problem taking into account pump field depletion are derived. The solutions are obtained with the help of an Hamiltonian approach which in the adiabatic limit permits to reduce the full set of Maxwell-Bloch equations to simple canonical equations of Hamiltonian mechanics for the field variables. It is found that the conversion efficiency reached is largely enhanced if the phase mismatch induced by linear refraction is compensated. A detailed analysis of the phase matching conditions shows, however, that the phase mismatch contribution from the Kerr effect cannot be compensated simultaneously with linear refraction contribution. Therefore, the conversion efficiency in a coupling scheme involving maximum coherence prepared by SCRAP is high, but not equal to unity. Received 16 August 2002 Published online 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: korsunsky@physik.uni-kl.de     

Highly monochromatic fluorescence via simulation of vacuum-induced coherence

It's shown that the incoherent fluorescence spectrum from a three-level Λ atom with orthogonal atomic transition dipole moments is comprised of a single ultrasharp line by simulating the vacuum-induced coherence (VIC), and the line is on resonance with the driving field. The physical interpretation of the spectral characteristics is given in terms of dressed states.     

Quantum memory for photons in case of many close lying exciton resonances in solids

The possibility of storage of quantum information with photons is studied in the case of resonant transitions via many close lying exciton levels in a solid with impurity -atoms. The upper levels of the impurity atom form resonant Fano states, similar to the autoionization atomic states, due to the configuration interaction with the continuum of the exciton band. In this case slowing of light pulses is shown to be realistic, in the presence of the control field, down to the group velocity much lower than that in vacuum. The possibility of storage and reconstruction of a quantum pulse is studied in the case of the instantaneous switching on/off of the control field. It is shown that the signal quantum pulse cannot be stored undistorted for differing values of Fano parameters and for non-zero two-photon detuning and decay rate between the lower levels (decoherence). However, for small difference of the Fano parameters and for small values of the two-photon detuning and the decoherence there is no distortion in the case where the length of the pulse is much longer than the linear absorption (amplification) length, so the shape and quantum state of the light pulse can be restored.     

Novel examples of cluster-matter produced by LUCAS, a new laser cluster source

In this paper a detailed experimental study of Coherent Population Trapping (CPT) effect on sodium induced by a dye-laser operating in a three-mode regime is presented and a detailed analysis of the role of velocity changing collisions is made. These collisions show a very small relaxation effect on the dark resonances which are visible even at high pressures. For the first time we demonstrate the persistence of the ground state coherence to pressures up to one atmosphere for a relatively “heavy” buffer gas like argon. The experimental results have been compared with theory and a very good agreement has been obtained. Preliminary results on the effect of Na-N₂ collisions on Coherent Population Trapping are presented. Received: 5 October 1998 / Received in final form: 3 December 1998     

Limitations of the strong field approximation in ionization of the hydrogen atom by ultrashort pulses

We present a theoretical study of the ionization of hydrogen atoms as a result of the interaction with an ultrashort external electric field. Doubly-differential momentum distributions and angular momentum distributions of ejected electrons calculated in the framework of the Coulomb-Volkov and strong field approximations, as well as classical calculations are compared with the exact solution of the time dependent Schr ödinger equation. We show that in the impulsive limit, the Coulomb-Volkov distorted wave theory reproduces the exact solution. The validity of the strong field approximation is probed both classically and quantum mechanically. We found that classical mechanics describes the proper quantum momentum distributions of the ejected electrons right after a sudden momentum transfer, however pronounced the differences at latter stages that arise during the subsequent electron-nucleus interaction. Although the classical calculations reproduce the quantum momentum distributions, it fails to describe properly the angular momentum distributions, even in the limit of strong fields. The origin of this failure can be attributed to the difference between quantum and classical initial spatial distributions.     

Resonance fluorescence spectrum of a three-level atom driven by coherent and stochastic fields

The dressed-state populations and the resonance fluorescence spectrum of a V-type three-level atom driven by a strong coherent field and a weak stochastic one simultaneously are investigated. There can be significant population inversion due to the effect of the stochastic field. The atomic resonance fluorescence spectrum can be controlled by adjusting the frequency difference between the coherent field and the stochastic one and the coherent Rabi frequency. Peak suppression and line narrowing occur under appropriate conditions. Received 23 June 2000 and Received in final form 18 January 2001     

Theoretical investigation of an acoustic wave in molecular magnets via electromagnetically induced transparency

Using the Schrödinger-Maxwell equations, we theoretically investigate the propagation properties of a transverse acoustic wave in a crystal of molecular magnets in the presence of two strong ac resonant magnetic fields and a weak acoustic wave. The acoustic wave can freely propagate in the magnetic molecule medium (under appropriate conditions) due to quantum interference. Furthermore, using the slowly varying envelope approximation, we discuss the propagation equation of the acoustic wave, which includes the high order nonlinear term. The results show that a crystal of molecular magnets can support the propagation of acoustic wave solitons via electromagnetically induced transparency. We also obtain the analytical expressions for the phase shift and absorption coefficient of the acoustic wave within certain parameters.     

Coherent control of stimulated emission inside one dimensional photonic crystals: strong coupling regime

The present paper discusses the stimulated emission, in strong coupling regime, of an atom embedded inside a one dimensional (1D) Photonic Band Gap (PBG) cavity which is pumped by two counter-propagating laser beams. Quantum electrodynamics is applied to model the atom-field interaction, by considering the atom as a two level system, the e.m. field as a superposition of normal modes, the coupling in dipole approximation, and the equations of motion in Wigner-Weisskopf and rotating wave approximations. In addition, the Quasi Normal Mode (QNM) approach for an open cavity is adopted, interpreting the local density of states (LDOS) as the local density of probability to excite one QNM of the cavity; and therefore rendering this LDOS dependent on the phase difference of the two laser beams. In this paper we demonstrate that the strong coupling regime occurs at high values of the LDOS. In accordance with the results of the literature, the emission probability of the atom decays with an oscillatory behaviour, so that the atomic emission spectrum exhibits two peaks (Rabi splitting). The novelty of this work is that the phase difference of the two laser beams can produce a coherent control of both the oscillations for the atomic emission probability and, as a consequence, of the Rabi splitting in the emission spectrum. Possible criteria to design active delay lines are finally discussed.