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Optics Letters

Sideband generation in frequency-modulated continuous-wave light through nonlinear near-resonant propagation in an atomic vapor

Jeffrey A. Paisner, Michael Austin Johnson, J. R. Morris, Lloyd A. Hackel

Published Sep 1, 1981• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have observed sideband generation in the spectrum of frequency-modulated light when the light is transmitted near resonance to the D(1) line in Na vapor. The temporal pulse reshaping that gives rise to the self-phase modulation phenomenon is in good agreement with the predictions of a one-dimensional two-level off-resonant Maxwell-Bloch computer code.

DOI
10.1364/ol.6.000428

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We have observed sideband generation in the spectrum of frequency-modulated light when the light is transmitted near resonance to the D(1) line in Na vapor. The temporal pulse reshaping that gives rise to the self-phase modulation phenomenon is in good agreement with the predictions of a one-dimensional two-level off-resonant Maxwell-Bloch computer code.
Computational results show that the conical emission and Rabi sidebands observed when a nearly resonant laser pulse propagates through an atomic vapor are the result of the breakup of the pulse into solitary waves. For an incident pulse with a transverse as well as a temporal profile, the crests and troughs of the 2-D solitary waves are curved in a time-radius plane. The temporal modulation associated with pulse breakup appears as Rabi sidebands in the spectrum, while the curvature of the solitary waves in the time-radius plane results in a transverse spatial modulation, resulting in conical emission in the far field. These results were obtained by performing detailed numerical calculations of the time-dependent paraxial propagation of a cylindrically symmetric laser pulse through a vapor of two-level atoms. Our results can be interpreted readily in terms of optical nutation on the Bloch sphere and in terms of noncollinear phase matching through the curvature of the solitary waves rather than through additional parametrically generated waves. The cone opening angle depends on the initial transverse profile of the pulse and the process of beam breakup as well as self-focusing.
The spectrum evolution of a few-cycle optical pulse in a resonant two-level atom medium is studied theoretically by using the full Maxwell-Bloch equations. On the propagating pulse, significantly much faster oscillation components separated with the main pulse appear due to strong self-phase modulation and pulse reshaping. In this case, ideal self-induced transparency cannot occur for a 2 pi pulse. The spectrum of the 4 pi pulse shows an evident oscillatory feature because of the continuum interference of the separate pulses. For larger pulse areas, continuum generation from near ultraviolet to infrared occurs.
The spectrum evolution of a few-cycle optical pulse in a resonant two-level atom medium is studied theoretically by using the full Maxwell-Bloch equations. On the propagating pulse, significantly much faster oscillation components separated with the main pulse appear due to strong self-phase modulation and pulse reshaping. In this case, ideal self-induced transparency cannot occur for a 2π pulse. The spectrum of the 4π pulse shows an evident oscillatory feature because of the continuum interference of the separate pulses. For larger pulse areas, continuum generation from near ultraviolet to infrared occurs.
This paper reports an investigation of parametric frequency conversion in a vapor of Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 atoms in which nearly resonant optical waves are coupled with microwaves at the ground-state hyperfine-structure (hfs) frequency of Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 by the nonlinear susceptibilities of Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 vapor. These nonlinear susceptibilities are greatly enhanced by optical pumping of the ground-state hfs levels of Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 and by using nearly resonant light. The frequency-conversion process generates optical sideband waves which are separated in frequency from the carrier light waves by the ground-state hfs frequency of Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 (6.835 GHz). These sidebands have been directly observed in the spectral profiles of Rb85{\mathrm{Rb}}^{85}Rb85 resonance light which had passed through Rb87{\mathrm{Rb}}^{87}Rb87 vapor. The conversion efficiency of power from the carrier waves to the sideband waves in a 45-cm length of vapor was greater than 1%. The observed behavior of the sidebands is in excellent qualitative agreement with the predictions of a semiclassical theory.
Computational results show that the conical emission and Rabi sidebands observed when a nearly resonant laser pulse propagates through an atomic vapor are the result of pulse breakup into temporal-spatial (2-D) solitary waves. The temporal modulation associated with pulse breakup appears as Rabi sidebands in the spectrum. Because the process of pulse breakup depends on the pulse area, the 2-D solitary waves are curved in the time-radius plane due to the transverse profile of the pulse. The curvature of the solitary waves in the time-radius plane results in a transverse spatial oscillation and a corresponding transverse wave vector that leads to conical emission in the far field.