Probe field spectroscopy in two-level systems with arbitrary phase memory in collisions

The spectrum of weak probe field absorption (amplification) by two-level atoms experiencing collisions with buffer gas atoms in a strong resonance laser field is studied theoretically. Analysis is carried out for systems with a weak Doppler broadening under relatively mild constraints on the strong field intensity for the general case of an arbitrary change in the phase of the radiation-induced dipole moment in elastic collisions of gas particles. It is shown that, in spite of uniform broadening of the absorption line, the probe field spectrum exhibits a clearly manifested anisotropy to mutual orientation of the wavevectors of strong and probe radiation. It is found that the width of resonances in the probe field spectrum under definite conditions (that can easily be created in experiments) is proportional to the diffusion coefficient for atoms interacting with radiation. This fact can form the basis of the spectroscopic method for measuring the transport frequencies of collisions between particles absorbing radiation and buffer particles. It is shown that phase memory effects in collisions strongly modify the probe field spectrum both qualitatively and quantitatively. Simple operative formulas proposed for the probe field spectrum are convenient for experimental data processing.     

Phase memory effects in probe-field spectroscopy of two-level systems at low collision frequencies

The absorption (amplification) spectrum of a weak probe field by two-level atoms located in a strong resonant laser field and colliding with buffer-gas atoms is analyzed theoretically. The analysis is performed for low collision frequencies compared to the Doppler absorption linewidth (low gas pressure) and with allowance made for an arbitrary change in the phase of the radiation-induced dipole moment at elastic collisions between gas particles. The phase memory effects have been found to lead to a strong qualitative and quantitative transformation of the probe-field spectrum even at rare collisions, when the well-known Dicke manifestation mechanism of the phase memory effects (the removal of Doppler broadening due to the restriction of the spatial particle motion by collisions) is inoperative. The strong influence of the phase memory effects on the spectral resonances at low gas pressures stems from the fact that the phase-conserving collisions change the velocity dependence of the partial refractive index n(v) (the refractive index for particles moving with velocity v).     

Controlling collisions of ultracold atoms with dc electric fields

It is demonstrated that elastic collisions of ultracold atoms forming a heteronuclear collision complex can be manipulated by laboratory practicable dc electric fields. The mechanism of electric field control is based on the interaction of the instantaneous dipole moment of the collision pair with external electric fields. It is shown that this interaction is dramatically enhanced in the presence of a p-wave shape or Feshbach scattering resonance near the collision threshold, which leads to novel electric-field-induced Feshbach resonances.     

Probe-field spectroscopy in two-level systems with low Doppler broadening

The spectrum of absorption (amplification) of a weak probe field by two-level atoms colliding with atoms of a buffer gas in the field of a strong electromagnetic wave is studied theoretically. A universal, free of any collision model, solution is obtained for systems with small (compared to collision rates) Doppler broadening with no restrictions on the strong-field intensity and with the possible absence of dephasing of the light-induced dipole moment in elastic collisions of the gas particles. The relation of the collisional parameters of the problem with the characteristics of an elementary scattering event and with the macroscopic characteristics connected with the transport phenomena is established. It is found that the nontrivial features of the probe-field spectrum discovered by us previously [Zh. Éksp. Teor. Fiz. 127, 320 (2005)] in the framework of the strong-collision model are not connected with a particular model of collisions and have a universal nature.     

Squeezed harmonic generation in cooperative resonance scattering of intense radiation by dipole molecules

We examine the processes of resonance Raman scattering of intense electromagnetic radiation by a lumped system of two-level atoms with a constant dipole moment. We calculate the intensity of the sth generated harmonic in a saturating electromagnetic field and the statistical characteristics of this harmonic. Finally, we show that the sth harmonic is squeezed at saturating field intensities. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 1206–1212 (April 1998)     

Counting atoms in a deep optical microtrap

We demonstrate a method to count small numbers of atoms held in a deep, microscopic optical dipole trap by collecting fluorescence from atoms exposed to a standing wave of light that is blue detuned from resonance. While scattering photons, the atoms are cooled by a Sisyphus mechanism that results from the spatial variation in light intensity. The use of a small blue detuning limits the losses due to light-assisted collisions, thereby making the method suitable for counting several atoms in a microscopic volume.     

Superradiant Rayleigh scattering of high-intensity short light pulses from a Bose-Einstein condensate of dilute atomic gases

Equations of a semiclassical model of superradiant Rayleigh scattering of high-intensity short light pulses from a Bose-Einstein condensate of dilute atomic gases are solved numerically taking into account the excitation of atoms by coherent Rayleigh radiation and their recoil in the backward direction. The evolution of the populations of coherent atomic states with a particular momentum is studied, and the pulse shape and the structure of the spectrum of such scattering are found in relation to the laser beam intensity and the recoil kinetic energy of atoms.     

Rayleigh scattering and atomic dynamics in dissipative optical lattices

We investigate Rayleigh scattering in dissipative optical lattices. In particular, following recent proposals [S. Guibal, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 4709 (1997)]; C. Jurczak, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1727 (1996)]], we study whether the Rayleigh resonance originates from the diffraction on a density grating and is therefore a probe of transport of atoms in optical lattices. It turns out that this is not the case: the Rayleigh line is instead a measure of the cooling rate, while spatial diffusion contributes to the scattering spectrum with a much broader resonance.     

Superradiance of several cold atoms

A method for calculating the spontaneous emission power of several immobile dipole-interacting two-level atoms located in a volume of about the wavelength of resonance radiation has been proposed in the Schrödinger representation. It has been shown that two atoms cannot, but four atoms can, emit a superradiance pulse under the conditions corresponding to experiments with cold atoms in dipole traps. Various methods for determining the quasistationary mixed atomic states, as well as the generalization of this method to other resonance emitting systems, are discussed.     

Radiation of the Point Source from an Anisotropic Plasma Cylinder

We obtain and analyze an analytical solution to the problem of electromagnetic-wave radiation of the point electric dipole from an anisotropic plasma cylinder to free space. Two cases of the dipole orientation are considered, where the electric dipole is directed along and across a horizontal magnetic field whose direction does not coincide with the axes of a cylindrical coordinate system. We analyze how the conditions and characteristics of the resonance influence of the anisotropic plasma cylinder depend on the strength of the magnetic field and its direction with respect to the dipole moment of the source. Comparative analysis of the resonance influence of the plasma cylinder with horizontal and axial external magnetic fields is performed.     

A collision-induced satellite in the Lyman profile due to H-H collisions

We present a theoretical profile of the Lyman line of atomic hydrogen perturbed by collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms and protons. We use a general unified theory in which the electric dipole moment varies during a collision. A collision-induced satellite appears on Lyman , correlated to the asymptotically forbidden transition of H₂. As a consequence, the appearance of the line wing between Lyman and Lyman is shown to be sensitive to the relative abundance of hydrogen ions and neutral atoms, and thereby to provide a temperature diagnostic for stellar atmospheres and laboratory plasmas. Received 15 January 2000 and Received in final form 17 May 2000     

Probe field spectroscopy in three-level Λ systems under arbitrary collisional relaxation of low-frequency coherence

We investigate theoretically the spectrum of weak probe field absorption by three-level atoms with the Λ configuration of levels in the field of a strong electromagnetic wave acting on an adjacent transition and colliding with buffer gas atoms. Analysis is carried out for the general case of arbitrary collisional relaxation of low-frequency coherence at a transition between two lower levels. It is shown that, in the absence of collisional relaxation of low-frequency coherence, the probe field spectrum always exhibits clearly manifested anisotropy with respect to mutual orientation of wavevectors of the strong and probe radiation (even under small Doppler broadening). It is found that the probe field spectrum may acquire under certain conditions supernarrow resonances with a width proportional to the diffusion coefficient for atoms interacting with radiation. This fact may form the basis for a spectroscopic method for measuring transport frequencies of collisions between absorbing and buffer particles. A large-amplitude supernarrow resonance (with an amplitude much larger than the amplitude of the resonance near the line center), which is observed in the far wing of the absorption line, exhibits collisional narrowing (a nonlinear spectroscopic analog of the Dicke effect) at collision frequencies several orders of magnitude lower that the Doppler linewidth. Simple working equations proposed for describing the probe field spectrum are convenient for experimental data processing.     

Near-resonant Rayleigh scattering and atomic flame flourescence spectroscopy

Near-resonant Rayleigh scattering and collision-induced resonance fluorescence of sodium have been observed in a combustion environment at atmospheric pressure. Sodium atoms in the equilibrium region of a flat-flame burner were excited by a pulsed-dye laser. The behavior of the two signals as the laser was detuned from the resonance line was studied and was found to agree with theoretical predictions. The results have important implications for atomic flame-fluorescence spectroscopy in that trapping is avoided at large atom number densities.     

Influence of the hyperfine structure of the atomic states on the collective effects in the Rb<Subscript>2</Subscript> quasi-molecule

A consistent quantum approach is used to study the influence of intraatomic spin–orbit and hyperfine interactions on the character of a resonance dipole–dipole interatomic interaction and, hence, collective effects. For this purpose, the collective spontaneous decay of excited states and the spectral dependence of the total scattering cross section of a monochromatic light wave are analyzed in the system consisting of two rubidium-87 atoms. The modification of the radiation properties and the interaction of the atoms with external radiation are studied as functions of the interatomic distance. The presence of a complex structure of the sublevels of both the ground and excited states is shown to modify the collective effects substantially as compared to the case when this structure is absent.     

Electron resonance dynamics in a double quantum well

We consider the two-level electron dynamics in a double quantum well in a periodic, anharmonic external electric field. We propose a method for solving the Schrödinger equation, which is based on the generalization of conventional resonance approximation for a system with an arbitrary number of resonances. The method is used for the case of both weak and strong fields. We obtain expressions for the quasi-energy wave functions and the electron dipole moment. It is shown that the dependence of the dipole moment on the constant component of external field is quasi-periodic, and the dipole moment changes sign at different half-periods.     

Generation of attosecond pulses in a system with permanent dipole moment

The generation of attosecond pulses in a two-level system with permanent dipole moment is investigated. It is shown due to the presence of permanent dipole moments, that the plateau of the high-order harmonic generation spectrum can be extended to X-ray range. Moreover, attosecond pulses with higher intensity can be synthesized by using both even and odd harmonics because of their quantum interference.     

Effect of quantum interference processes on the angular distribution of the spontaneous radiation in the D line of alkali-metal vapors in a laser wave field

The resonance fluorescence of a degenerate V-type three-level atom in the field of an intense monochromatic wave with arbitrary polarization composition is investigated. The equations of motion, the general form of the radiation relaxation operator, and the analytical expressions for the angular distribution of the intensity of the spontaneous radiation from atoms, and the total intensity of the resonance fluorescence for such systems are obtained. The angular distribution of the spontaneous radiation from atoms for the D line of alkali-metal vapors is investigated. It is predicted theoretically that the intensity of the resonance fluorescence will decrease as the intensity of the pump wave increases in observations in a direction of the electric field vector of the laser wave.     

Raman and Rayleigh spectroscopy and molecular motions

Raman and Rayleigh scattering experiments on HCl, DCl, HBr and DBr molecules (pure liquid or isotopically diluted) have been carried out at room temperature. Results are discussed in the light of the existing theories on molecular motions in the liquid phase. The comparison of Rayleigh and Raman scattering results shows that reorientational processes are not sufficient to explain completely the profile of anisotropic Raman scattering. According to a recent theory due to Bratos, the rotational correlation function can be obtained only after elimination of the vibrational correlation function determined from the isotropic Raman scattering. In this last case broadening may arise from three causes: translational motion, resonance broadening and vibration-rotation coupling. A comparative study of the band profile of anisotropic Rayleigh and Raman scattering shows that the wings in both cases come from essentially the same origin while a band moment analysis is consistent with Gordon's theory according to which they are of reorientational origin.     

Electrooptical effect during action of linearly polarized radiation on a particle from an anisotropic dielectric

Interaction between intensive light radiation and the induced dipole moment of a particle results in the appearance of an electrooptical effect manifested in the nonlinear dependence of the intensity of the cross-polarized radiation scattering component on the incident wave intensity. The case of scattering in the 180° direction is examined.     

Collective generation of higher optical harmonics by dipole molecules

An analysis is made of the collective resonant generation of higher harmonics by a spatially extended system of two-level molecules possessing an intrinsic electron dipole moment in the excited state. Frequency and angular dependences of the scattered radiation are studied. It is shown that for moderately small numbers of harmonics their intensity depends comparatively weakly on the number (plateau) and the intensity of the emitted harmonics then falls sharply as the number increases. The angular distribution of the harmonics is strongly anisotropic. It is also shown that collective effects significantly change the time profile of the generated harmonic pulse. In addition, as a result of cooperative effects harmonics of a certain parity are suppressed in the low-frequency part of the radiation spectrum.