Quantum optics with nuclear gamma radiation

Romain Coussement, Rustem Shahkmouratov, G. Neyens +1 more

J. Odeurs, Romain Coussement, K. Vyvey +8 more

I. N. Izosimov

J. Odeurs, Gilbert R. Hoy, Yuri V. Rostovtsev +1 more

Abstract Nuclear quantum optics deals with the resonant interaction of gamma‐radiation and nuclei, generally incorporated in a solid‐state material. Single gamma‐rays interact with an ensemble of nuclei. The properties of the resonantly forward‐scattered gamma‐radiation depend on the details of the interaction. An external modification of the nuclear energies will influence the interactions, and hence the properties of the radiation. Several techniques are proposed to reduce the resonant absorption of the gamma‐rays, creating a nuclear medium that is partially transparent: nuclear‐level‐mixing induced transparency, modification of nuclear levels by means of an optical laser, phase‐shift‐induced transparency. Interference is crucial in all this. The partial transparency could be exploited to study special effects such as slow gamma‐radiation and gain without population inversion. It could also be of importance for the realization of a gamma‐ray laser.

J. Odeurs, S. Gheysen, R. N. Shakhmuratov

The group velocity of gamma radiation scattered in the forward direction by a nuclear lambda scheme experiencing level mixing induced transparency, which shows some similarity to optical EIT, has been investigated. The equations for the nuclear coherences governing the group velocity have been solved. The group velocity decreases with the density of the resonant nuclei and with a decrease in the intensity of the mixing interaction. A comparison between the group velocity of the gamma radiation and the probe radiation in “classical” optical EIT conditions has been made.

Jörg Evers, Robert Fleischhaker, Adriana Pálffy +1 more