The problem of light propagation of frequency corresponding to half of the energy difference between a metastable excited state and the ground state of atoms is examined, and solved for coherent medium by analytic means. We demonstrate that the non-linear system of Maxwell-Bloch equation for the effective model of the Λ -type three levels is integrable in the mathematical sense. Analytic solutions thus obtained describe pulse splitting accompanied by compression, indicating a kind of non-linear instability of propagating pulses. The instability is eventually terminated by coherent two photon emission (called paired superradiance or PSR in short). These results are displayed by numerical outputs for visual understanding, as well. It is further shown that the integrable system allows a new class of soliton solutions. Solitons, implying the phenomenon of self-induced transparancy at non-resonant frequencies, are stable against PSR. One of our goals of the present work is construction of a calculable theoretical framework for PSR rates associated with a trigger pulse propagation, which is achieved by combining analytic results with perturbative methods. PSR photon spectrum and its rate ∝(target number density) 2 , along with their time structure, are clarified this way. These results may open a new path for interesting technological applications such as quantum entanglement and for solving the remaining problems of the still mysterious neutrino. Some basic strategy for realistic experiments of PSR detection and soliton production is also outlined.
The problem of light propagation of frequency corresponding to half of the energy difference between a metastable excited state and the ground state of atoms is examined, and solved for coherent medium by analytic means. We demonstrate that the non-linear system of Maxwell-Bloch equation for the effective model of the Λ -type three levels is integrable in the mathematical sense. Analytic solutions thus obtained describe pulse splitting accompanied by compression, indicating a kind of non-linear instability of propagating pulses. The instability is eventually terminated by coherent two photon emission (called paired superradiance or PSR in short). These results are displayed by numerical outputs for visual understanding, as well. It is further shown that the integrable system allows a new class of soliton solutions. Solitons, implying the phenomenon of self-induced transparancy at non-resonant frequencies, are stable against PSR. One of our goals of the present work is construction of a calculable theoretical framework for PSR rates associated with a trigger pulse propagation, which is achieved by combining analytic results with perturbative methods. PSR photon spectrum and its rate ∝(target number density) 2 , along with their time structure, are clarified this way. These results may open a new path for interesting technological applications such as quantum entanglement and for solving the remaining problems of the still mysterious neutrino. Some basic strategy for realistic experiments of PSR detection and soliton production is also outlined.
We develop for dipole-forbidden transition a dynamical theory of two-photon paired superradiance (PSR). This is a cooperative process characterized by two photons emitted back to back with equal energies. By irradiating the trigger laser from two target ends, with its frequency tuned at the half energy between two levels, a macroscopically coherent state of medium and fields dynamically emerges as time evolves, and a large signal of amplified output occurs with a time delay. The basic semiclassical equations in 1+1 space-time dimensions are derived for the field-plus-medium system to describe the space-time evolution of the entire system and are numerically solved to demonstrate the existence of both explosive and weak PSR phenomena in the presence of relaxation terms. The explosive PSR event terminates accompanying a sudden release of most of the energy stored in the target. Our numerical simulations are performed using the vibrational transition ${X}^{1}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{g}^{+}v=1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ of a para-H2 molecule and taking many different excited atom number densities and different initial coherences between the metastable and the ground states. In an example with a number density close to O(1021 cm${}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$) and a high initial coherence, the explosive event terminates several nanoseconds after the trigger irradiation, when the phase relaxation time larger than O(10 ns) is taken. After PSR events the system is expected to follow a steady-state solution which is obtained by analytic means and is made of many objects of field condensates endowed with a topological stability.
The coherent propagation of two optical short pulses through a resonant medium consisting of two three-level atoms in the configuration is investigated. A self-consisting analytical solution without steady state or adiabatic approximations is presented. The electric field in the model studied consists of two co-propagating plane waves, each of which is in near resonance with a transition in the absorber. The density matrix of two three level atoms is studied. Also, the reduced density matrices are stated. The present approach for the semiclassical treatment of resonant coherent interactions in three-level atoms represents a generalization of the Maxwell- Bloch equations for a two-level system. The Maxwell-Bloch equations reduced to the non-linear pendulum equation. The solution shows that the two pulses can propagate simultaneously without loss under some conditions about the pulses and the medium. The propagation of the two pulses through the medium without any constrains approves the self -induced transparency (SIT) phenomenon.
A theoretical model for the propagation of coherent light pulses in resonant media where a large number of atoms cooperate in spontaneous emission (superradiance) is discussed. The medium is supposedly free of inhomogeneous broadening, and no lossy relaxation mechanisms are taken into account. The conditions for the emission of all spontaneous radiation in the direction of pulse propagation are described. A semi-classical model is used and, at each point in the medium, the propagation field and the spontaneous damping field are considered separately. The equation governing the evolution of a superradiant system in the presence of an applied pulse is derived. A mechanism of energy transfer from the traveling pulse to the medium is described which includes superradiant spontaneous emission effects. As a result of the neglect of all lossy relaxation processes, all energy stored in the medium is eventually returned to the pulse by coherent spontaneous emission. Therefore, in this theory, all pulses travel through the medium without energy loss. Numerical results for square input pulses are discussed which show two possible types of propagation behavior: (a) Low input intensities produce a negative tail to the input (positive) pulse and sharpening of the tail with the advance in the medium; (b) higher input intensities produce, after sufficient penetration, a steady-state pulse envelope somewhat similar to the $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulses of self-induced transparency. The steady-state solutions of the equations of motion are found numerically and the pulse shapes are computed for different degrees of superradiance. In the limit of strong superradiance, very asymmetric pulse envelopes of large area are found. For negligible superradiance, approximately $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ hyperbolic-secant pulses are obtained. The effects of inhomogeneous broadening are briefly considered, and the consequences of important superradiant damping in photon-echo experiments are qualitatively discussed.
Paired superradiance (PSR) is a macro-coherent two-photon process capable of very large gain, making it promising for detecting ultra-weak signals induced by neutrinos or dark matter. A major goal has been to increase the system volume V and density n, since the signal intensity scales as (nV)2. We recast finite PSR as a parametric amplifier driven by the electromagnetic vacuum. The usual zero-field semiclassical initial condition is replaced by vacuum inputs fixed by the quantum two-point function. Combining this formulation with Maxwell--Bloch evolution and finite-length stability analysis, we find that PSR produces an irreducible vacuum background that can develop into macroscopic bursts once the gain-length product exceeds ΓL=π/2 for a sufficient coherence time. These results, together with a closed-form formula for estimating the vacuum-seeded photon yield, establish a previously overlooked constraint for high-gain PSR, with direct implications for proposed neutrino and dark-matter studies.
Quantum coherence and interference in atomic systems can lead to interesting optical phenomena such as nonabsorbing resonances, lasing without inversion, generating an ultrahigh index of refraction without absorption, propagation of light pulses without losses. In the last-named is given the title transparency. Up to now it is known some types of transparency in multi-level resonant media. One of them is electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The phenomenon of EIT in the propagation of laser radiation through an absorbing medium has been recently investigated and explained in terms of quantum coherence and interference for multi-level atomic system. For instance in the (Lambda) -system, if the atomic medium is prepared in a quantum superposition of states, matched pulses, i.e., a pair of optical pulses whose amplitude and phase have a well defined relation, propagate without absorption. The mechanism of coherent population trapping is responsible for EIT in a (Lambda) -system. There is another, well known mechanism for creating transparency in a two-state atom: self-induced transparency, or SIT. Here, a single pulse whose area (the integral of its Rabi frequency over time) is 2(pi) is applied to the medium. Such a pulse causes the atoms to cycle smoothly from the ground to the excited state and then back again. In principle, such a pulse can propagate over long distances. SIT can be generalized to multi-level systems and multiple quasi-monochromatic fields. Generalization of SIT in a (Lambda) -system was obtained in reference 2. In this report we present a new type of transparency (combined transparency). This type describes propagation of laser pulse through a (Lambda) -type medium where the initial atomic state is prepared in the form of spatially varying coherent superposition of low-energetic states (initial coherency gradient). The common envelope behaves as usual 2(pi) hyperbolic secant pulse, but the ratio between the components of frequencies transitions 1> yields 3> and 2> yields 3> changes due to coherent Raman scattering so (phi) equals atan(E1/E2) equals (pi) /2-Gz, where z is the coordinate, G is the constant determined by both the incident pulse parameters and the initial coherence between the atomic states. Our solution demonstrates a direct connection of EIT in adiabatic regime to the SIT effects. This type of a transparency is given the title screw-type transparency, because for the given form of incident pulse (pitch of screw) medium is transparent, if medium's the initial coherence gradient is correspondingly prepared (thread on a engine nut). Besides a transparency, this phenomenon contains a transformation of the incident pulse frequency during the process of the propagation. This property of the phenomena can be result in a complete conversion of the frequency.
Recent experimental realizations of single-cycle pulses in the terahertz, infrared, and optical regions provide promising light sources for applications in telecommunication, medical imaging, spectroscopy, and coherent control. In the resonant regime, the short duration of such pulses imply that they may escape certain effects that are detrimental to coherence; spontaneous emission is one such example. In combination with an octave-spanning spectral bandwidth, an adequate theoretical approach necessitates a semiclassical coherence model outside the conventional few-level, rotating wave, and slowly varying envelope approximations. The evolution equations that govern the underlying dynamics of such systems are inherently nonlinear and possess solutions only in certain idealized, limiting cases. In this thesis we investigate the viability of obtaining general-purpose numerical solutions to such problems.\n\nA computational approach based on Maxwell’s equations coupled with a multi-level quantum mechanical model for homogeneously and inhomogeneously broadened media is reported. The formulation leads to a numerical algorithm applicable to bi-directional propagation of pulses of arbitrary duration along all three spatial coordinates. For sufficiently dense inhomogeneously broadened materials we show, numerically, that when the forward propagation approximation of Maxwell’s wave equation is not valid, certain types of optical solitons may lose a significant amount of energy with increasing propagation distance through the co-excitation of a backward mode.\n\nA second set of computational routines is based on neglection of optical backpropagation in Maxwell’s wave equation. The resulting propagation equation generalizes the paraxial wave equation to the single-cycle pulse regime and is shown to be susceptible to numerical integration in conjunction with quantum theory. Our computer code is applied to femtosecond conical emission in atomic sodium. We find that cone emission occurs together with spatiotemporal pulse breakup analogous to the soliton-type splitting observed in self-induced transparency. We furthermore support these results by presenting complementary numerical calculations of the same phenomenon in the picosecond pulse regime. The angular structure of the conical emission observed numerically agrees with expermental measurements performed by others. Our computational results resolve some of the underlying questions surrounding conical emission in alkali metal vapors.\n\nConsideration of optical selection rules in rigid-rotor molecules is shown to greatly simplify the numerical evaluation of single-cycle pulse propagation in multi-level molecular systems. Numerical application of linearly polarized single-cycle terahertz pulses in rigid rotor molecular media, incorporating a full rotational manifold, shows that coherent bleaching effects ultimately lead to self-steepening of the driving pulse. A possible practical consequence of these results is that coherent, nonlinear saturation effects may partially cancel dispersion-induced temporal broadening of single-cycle pulses, opening up the possibility of increased energy transmission of terahertz pulses through molecular media.