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arXiv:1209.1891 · Physical Review A

Coherent control of the refractive index using optical bistability

H. Aswath Babu, Harshawardhan Wanare

Published Mar 19, 2013• 6 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Refractive index and absorption experienced by a probe field propagating through a three-level atomic medium can be effectively manipulated by the bistable behavior of a control field. The probe field couples the lower transition of the atom in a ladder configuration and experiences normal or anomalous dispersion depending on the control field being in the upper or lower bistable state, respectively. We also obtain nonlinear dynamical instability in the form of periodic self-pulsing as the lower bistable branch becomes unstable, quite unlike earlier demonstrations of an unstable regime in the upper branch. Consequently, the susceptibility experienced by the probe field varies periodically in time as dictated by the control field self-pulsing.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.87.033821

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Refractive index and absorption experienced by a probe field propagating through a three-level atomic medium can be effectively manipulated by the bistable behavior of a control field. The probe field couples the lower transition of the atom in a ladder configuration and experiences normal or anomalous dispersion depending on the control field being in the upper or lower bistable state, respectively. We also obtain nonlinear dynamical instability in the form of periodic self-pulsing as the lower bistable branch becomes unstable, quite unlike earlier demonstrations of an unstable regime in the upper branch. Consequently, the susceptibility experienced by the probe field varies periodically in time as dictated by the control field self-pulsing.
The resonant absorption, emission, and scattering of light are the fundamental optical processes that have been used both to probe matter and to manipulate light itself. In the last decade there has been essential progress in coherent control of both linear and nonlinear optical responses based on resonant excitation of atomic coherence in multilevel quantum systems. Some interesting and useful phenomena, resulting from coherent control of absorption and the group index, such as electromagnetically induced transparency, lasing without inversion, and ultra-slow group velocity of light have been widely studied. This work is focused on coherent control of refractive index and resonant fluorescence in multilevel medium. \n \nWe suggest two promising schemes for resonant enhancement of the refractive index with eliminated absorption and propose their implementation in transition element doped crystals with excited state absorption and in a cell of Rb atoms at natural abundance. We show how to use one of these schemes for spatial variation of the refractive index via its periodic resonant increase/decrease, remarkably keeping at the same time zero absorption/gain. It opens the way to production of transparent photonic structures (such as distributed Bragg reflectors, holey fibers, or photonic crystals) in a homogeneous resonant atomic media such as dielectrics with homogeneously distributed impurities, atomic, or molecular gases. These optically produced photonic structures could easily be controlled (including switching on/off, changing amplitude and period of modulation) and would be highly selective in frequency, naturally limited by the width of the optical resonance. \n \nWe also derive the optical fluorescence spectra of a three-level medium driven by two coherent fields at the adjacent transitions in a general case when all three transitions are allowed. We show that coherent driving can efficiently control the distribution of intensities between the fluorescent channels. In particular, the total intensity of fluorescence at the transition which is not driven by the optical fields may essentially exceed the fluorescence intensity at the driven transitions under the condition of two-photon resonance. This counter-intuitive effect is due to depletion of the intermediate state via atomic interference.
Summary form only given. The reduced absorption and enhanced nonlinearity in a three-level electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system are very important in achieving an effective all-optical switching action. The Kerr-nonlinear index of refraction of a three-level EIT medium can be greatly enhanced near resonance due to atomic coherence induced in such a system in comparison with a two-level atomic system, as we have shown by using an optical ring cavity. Both the magnitude and sign of the Kerr-nonlinear index change dramatically for different frequency detunings of the controlling (or coupling) or cavity (or probe) field. Bistability and dynamic instability occur when such a three-level /spl Lambda/-type EIT system is placed inside an optical ring cavity and the controlling and cavity input intensities to exceed certain threshold values. In this paper, we present a recent experimental demonstration of controlling the cavity output intensity by modulating the frequency detuning of the controlling beam.
Abstract Optical properties including absorption, dispersion, group index, Kerr nonlinearity, and optical bistability of a three-level V-type atomic medium have modified by varying an external magnetic field. By changing the magnitude or the sign of the external magnetic field, the transparency window with normal dispersion transfers to the enhanced absorption with anomalous dispersion at the line center, and hence the light propagation switches between subluminal and superluminal modes. The magnitude and the sign of the Kerr nonlinearity are controlled with the strength and the sign of the magnetic field. As a consequence, the behaviors of optical bistability are also made to appear or disappear when switching on/off the magnetic field. Moreover, the threshold intensity and width of optical bistability are also changed by the magnetic field and the coupling field. The results can be used to control the working characteristics of applied devices and study the related effects.
The atomic optical bistability (AOB) in multi-level systems has advantages over the two-level system as absorption, dispersion, and nonlinear optical properties of one optical field coupled to one atomic transition can be greatly modified by other optical fields coupled to other connected nearby atomic transitions in multi-level atomic systems due to induced atomic coherences. By making use of such changes in linear and nonlinear optical properties around resonance, which are related to the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), it is easy to manipulate and control nonlinear optical processes in the multi-level atomic systems. We review earlier two-level AOB theory, as well as experiments and some recent studies that made use of multi-level atomic EIT systems in achieving controls of nonlinear optical processes such as instabilities and stochastic resonance associated with the coupled atom–cavity systems.