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Chaotic dynamics in the Maxwell-Bloch equations

Darryl D. Holm, Gregor Kovačič

Published Mar 6, 1992• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

In the slowly varying envelope approximation and the rotating wave approximation for the Maxwell-Bloch equations, we describe how the presence of a small-amplitude probe laser in an excited, two-level, resonant medium leads to homoclinic chaos in the laser-matter dynamics. We also describe a derivation of the Maxwell-Bloch equations from an action principle.

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In the slowly varying envelope approximation and the rotating wave approximation for the Maxwell-Bloch equations, we describe how the presence of a small-amplitude probe laser in an excited, two-level, resonant medium leads to homoclinic chaos in the laser-matter dynamics. We also describe a derivation of the Maxwell-Bloch equations from an action principle.
This chapter provides an overview of chaotic billiard lasers as a prominent branch of quantum chaos. These lasers offer an ideal experimental platform for demonstrating the principles of quantum chaos within a physical system. We begin by introducing the fundamental principles of chaotic ray dynamics in optical microcavities, where the transition from regular to fully chaotic dynamics fundamentally alters the underlying wavefunctions and lasing properties. A central focus is placed on "chaos-assisted light emission," which serves as a practical manifestation of "chaos-assisted tunneling" -- a hallmark phenomenon in the study of quantum chaos. We discuss both theoretical frameworks and experimental validations, demonstrating how chaotic orbits facilitate the coupling between evanescently localized modes and far-field emission. Furthermore, exploring how the presence of a gain medium influences established results from quantum chaos research remains a fundamental and intriguing problem in physics. To address this, we establish a rigorous and comprehensive derivation of the Maxwell-Bloch equations for two-dimensional microcavity lasers, specifically examining their application to fully chaotic, stadium-shaped billiard lasers. By bridging the gap between nonlinear lasing processes and chaotic wavefunctions, this chapter highlights the unique potential of chaotic billiards for controlling light-matter interactions and shaping the next generation of unconventional coherent light sources.
We reveal the existence of an optical self-induced-transparency soliton family in a two-level absorbing system down to the few-cycle limit. Based on the few-cycle envelope approximation, we introduce a systematical method of reducing the Maxwell-Bloch equations beyond the slowly varying envelope approximation and characterize the parameter space to achieve slow and fast lights. Verified by direct numerical simulations with full vectorial Maxwell-Bloch equations, we also give the relationships for a number of optical cycles on area theory and pulse group velocity, which demonstrate possible coherent photon-matter interactions.
In this article we present a systematic derivation of the Maxwell-Bloch equations describing amplification and laser action in a ring cavity. We derive the Maxwell-Bloch equations for a two-level medium and discuss their applicability to standard three- and four-level systems. After discusing amplification, we consider lasing and pay special attention to the obtention of the laser equations in the uniform field approximation. Finally, the connection of the laser equations with the Lorenz model is considered.