Dynamics of cascade three-level system interacting with the classical and quantized field

We study the exact solutions of the cascade three-level atom interacting with a single mode classical and quantized field with different initial conditions of the atom. For the semiclassical model, it is found that if the atom is initially in the middle level, the time-dependent populations of the upper and lower levels are always equal. This dynamical symmetry exhibited by the classical field is spoiled on quantization of the field mode. To reveal this non-classical effect, a Euler matrix formalism is developed to solve the dressed states of the cascade Jaynes-Cummings model (JCM). Possible modification of such an effect on the collapse and revival phenomenon is also discussed by taking the quantized field in a coherent state