Physical Review A

Quantum Theory of an Optical Maser. VI. Transient Behavior

Y. K. Wang, Willis E. Lamb

Published Aug 1, 1973• 21 citations

Abstract

The transient behavior of a laser is discussed using the quantum theory as did Scully and Lamb. The formal solution of the density-matrix equation is expressed in terms of exponentially decaying eigenmodes. Some of the lower decay constants are obtained numerically. The equations for the moments of the density matrix are then derived and solved by a truncation method. The equations of motion are integrated numerically for the case where the average number of photons in a laser cavity has the realistically large value 1.3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{5}$. An alternative Fokker-Planck-equation approach is discussed.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.8.866

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Quantum Theory of an Optical Maser. I. General Theory

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Physical Review A

Quantum Theory of an Optical Maser. VI. Transient Behavior

Y. K. Wang, Willis E. Lamb

Published Aug 1, 1973• 21 citations

Publisher

Abstract

{10}^{5}

. An alternative Fokker-Planck-equation approach is discussed.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.8.866

Related papers

Quantum Theory of an Optical Maser. I. General Theory

Marlan O. Scully, Willis E. Lamb

A quantum statistical analysis of an optical maser is presented in generalization of the recent semiclassical theory of Lamb. Equations of motion for the density matrix of the quantized electromagnetic field are derived. These equations describe the irreversible dynamics of the laser radiation in all regions of operation (above, below, and at threshold). Nonlinearities play an essential role in this problem. The diagonal equations of motion for the radiation are found to have an apparent physical interpretation. At steady state, these equations may be solved via detailed-balance considerations to yield the photon statistical distribution ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{n,n}$. The resulting distribution has a variance which is significantly larger than that for coherent light. The off-diagonal elements of the radiation density matrix describe the effects of phase diffusion in general and provide the spectral profile ${| E(\ensuremath{\omega}) |}^{2}$ as a special case. A detailed discussion of the physics involved in this paper is given in the concluding sections. The theory of the laser adds another example to the short list of solved problems in irreversible quantum statistical mechanics.A quantum statistical analysis of an optical maser is presented in generalization of the recent semiclassical theory of Lamb. Equations of motion for the density matrix of the quantized electromagnetic field are derived. These equations describe the irreversible dynamics of the laser radiation in all regions of operation (above, below, and at threshold). Nonlinearities play an essential role in this problem. The diagonal equations of motion for the radiation are found to have an apparent physical interpretation. At steady state, these equations may be solved via detailed-balance considerations to yield the photon statistical distribution ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{n,n}$. The resulting distribution has a variance which is significantly larger than that for coherent light. The off-diagonal elements of the radiation density matrix describe the effects of phase diffusion in general and provide the spectral profile ${| E(\ensuremath{\omega}) |}^{2}$ as a special case. A detailed discussion of the physics involved in this paper is given in the concluding sections. The theory of the laser adds another example to the short list of solved problems in irreversible quantum statistical mechanics.

Physical ReviewJul 10, 1967685 citations

Quantum Theory of a Simple Maser Oscillator

J. P. Gordon

We discuss the quantum theory of a simple model of a maser oscillator, consisting of one radiation-field mode interacting with a large number of stationary three-level atoms. The field and the atoms also interact with separate heat reservoirs which represent dissipation mechanisms and an incoherent pumping mechanism. The model is sufficiently simple that some analytical progress can be made with the nonlinear quantal equations before further approximation is necessary. We start from the quantal equation of motion of the field-atom density operator. We make immediate use of a diagonal coherent-state expansion for the field part of the density operator and a somewhat similar expansion for the atom part. This yields an exact equation of the Fokker-Planck form for a $c$ -number weight distribution, which retains all the significance of the original operator equation, and which has the semiclassical equation for the same model as a first, fluctuation-free approximation. We make use of our basic Fokker-Planck equation in a variety of ways. We discuss the reduction of the equation under conditions that the atomic decay constants are large (large atomic linewidth), arriving finally at an equation of motion for a field-only weight function which serves to demonstrate the basic coherence properties of a maser. We derive and discuss the equation of motion of the generalized Wigner density for the maser model. The generalized Wigner density is a smoothed version (a convolution) of our basic weight distribution, and from it we derive an equivalent classical model including noise sources. Finally, we discuss other useful weight distributions and the number representation for the field. The equations we derive in these discussions make contact with the rate equations of Shimoda, Takahasi, and Townes, as well as with the more recent work of Lax and Louisell, Lax, and of Scully and Lamb.We discuss the quantum theory of a simple model of a maser oscillator, consisting of one radiation-field mode interacting with a large number of stationary three-level atoms. The field and the atoms also interact with separate heat reservoirs which represent dissipation mechanisms and an incoherent pumping mechanism. The model is sufficiently simple that some analytical progress can be made with the nonlinear quantal equations before further approximation is necessary. We start from the quantal equation of motion of the field-atom density operator. We make immediate use of a diagonal coherent-state expansion for the field part of the density operator and a somewhat similar expansion for the atom part. This yields an exact equation of the Fokker-Planck form for a $c$-number weight distribution, which retains all the significance of the original operator equation, and which has the semiclassical equation for the same model as a first, fluctuation-free approximation. We make use of our basic Fokker-Planck equation in a variety of ways. We discuss the reduction of the equation under conditions that the atomic decay constants are large (large atomic linewidth), arriving finally at an equation of motion for a field-only weight function which serves to demonstrate the basic coherence properties of a maser. We derive and discuss the equation of motion of the generalized Wigner density for the maser model. The generalized Wigner density is a smoothed version (a convolution) of our basic weight distribution, and from it we derive an equivalent classical model including noise sources. Finally, we discuss other useful weight distributions and the number representation for the field. The equations we derive in these discussions make contact with the rate equations of Shimoda, Takahasi, and Townes, as well as with the more recent work of Lax and Louisell, Lax, and of Scully and Lamb.

Physical ReviewSep 10, 1967107 citations

The N-atom laser below saturation: a density matrix approach without large-N scaling

Michael Fleischhauer, S Sandhager

The authors present a method of deriving a reduced density operator equation for a quantized field interacting with an arbitrary number of atoms that does not neglect atom-atom correlations. As a particular example they analyse a three-level laser operating well below saturation and solve the density matrix equations in steady state. For weak pumping the system is equivalent to the Scully-Lamb model (1966) and the corresponding equations are recovered. Using the saturation photon number as a (large) scaling parameter one can derive a Fokker-Planck equation for the Glauber-P-distribution. The stationary solution of the reduced density matrix equation is compared with the solution of the Fokker-Planck equation and-for the case of a single-atom laser-with a numerical solution of the total density matrix equation.The authors present a method of deriving a reduced density operator equation for a quantized field interacting with an arbitrary number of atoms that does not neglect atom-atom correlations. As a particular example they analyse a three-level laser operating well below saturation and solve the density matrix equations in steady state. For weak pumping the system is equivalent to the Scully-Lamb model (1966) and the corresponding equations are recovered. Using the saturation photon number as a (large) scaling parameter one can derive a Fokker-Planck equation for the Glauber-P-distribution. The stationary solution of the reduced density matrix equation is compared with the solution of the Fokker-Planck equation and-for the case of a single-atom laser-with a numerical solution of the total density matrix equation.

Quantum and Semiclassical Optics Journal of the European Optical Society Part BJun 1, 19951 citation

Use of Fokker-Planck equations for the statistical properties of laser light

Peter Jung, H. Risken

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIEMar 1, 19910 citations

Quantum Theory of a Laser Model

C. R. Willis

We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix $R$ to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where $\mathfrak{N}$ is the number of two-level systems per unit volume, ${r}_{0}$ is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix $R$ to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where $\mathfrak{N}$ is the number of two-level systems per unit volume, ${r}_{0}$ is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.

Physical ReviewJul 8, 196622 citations

Quantum Theory of a Gas Laser

C. R. Willis

We derive the equation of motion for the quantum-mechanical radiation density matrix of a gas laser to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant. Our derivation is fully quantum mechanical and we can calculate the coherence properties from the radiation density matrix. Our model consists of $N$ two-level systems interacting with radiation in a cavity in the presence of dissipation, pumping, and collisions. The method we use is a generalization of the Bogoliubov derivation of the kinetic equation for a small parameter. Our derivation holds for any physically realizable pump power, and near threshold reduces to Lamb's near-threshold theory. With the equation of motion for the radiation density matrix, we obtain solutions both for when the average field is nonzero and for when it is zero. The steady-state electromagnetic density is the same in both cases except for a small spontaneous-emission term. We show that the reason gas lasers do not satisfy rate equations is the existence of zeroth-order correlations between the internal atomic variables and atomic center-of-mass variables. It is these same zeroth-order correlations which are responsible for the Lamb dip. Our derivation includes collisions and reduces the calculations of their effect to quadrature.We derive the equation of motion for the quantum-mechanical radiation density matrix of a gas laser to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant. Our derivation is fully quantum mechanical and we can calculate the coherence properties from the radiation density matrix. Our model consists of $N$ two-level systems interacting with radiation in a cavity in the presence of dissipation, pumping, and collisions. The method we use is a generalization of the Bogoliubov derivation of the kinetic equation for a small parameter. Our derivation holds for any physically realizable pump power, and near threshold reduces to Lamb's near-threshold theory. With the equation of motion for the radiation density matrix, we obtain solutions both for when the average field is nonzero and for when it is zero. The steady-state electromagnetic density is the same in both cases except for a small spontaneous-emission term. We show that the reason gas lasers do not satisfy rate equations is the existence of zeroth-order correlations between the internal atomic variables and atomic center-of-mass variables. It is these same zeroth-order correlations which are responsible for the Lamb dip. Our derivation includes collisions and reduces the calculations of their effect to quadrature.

Physical ReviewApr 10, 196714 citations

{10}^{5}

. An alternative Fokker-Planck-equation approach is discussed.

c

-number weight distribution, which retains all the significance of the original operator equation, and which has the semiclassical equation for the same model as a first, fluctuation-free approximation. We make use of our basic Fokker-Planck equation in a variety of ways. We discuss the reduction of the equation under conditions that the atomic decay constants are large (large atomic linewidth), arriving finally at an equation of motion for a field-only weight function which serves to demonstrate the basic coherence properties of a maser. We derive and discuss the equation of motion of the generalized Wigner density for the maser model. The generalized Wigner density is a smoothed version (a convolution) of our basic weight distribution, and from it we derive an equivalent classical model including noise sources. Finally, we discuss other useful weight distributions and the number representation for the field. The equations we derive in these discussions make contact with the rate equations of Shimoda, Takahasi, and Townes, as well as with the more recent work of Lax and Louisell, Lax, and of Scully and Lamb.

We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix

R

to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where

\mathfrak{N}

is the number of two-level systems per unit volume,

{r}_{0}

is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.

N

two-level systems interacting with radiation in a cavity in the presence of dissipation, pumping, and collisions. The method we use is a generalization of the Bogoliubov derivation of the kinetic equation for a small parameter. Our derivation holds for any physically realizable pump power, and near threshold reduces to Lamb's near-threshold theory. With the equation of motion for the radiation density matrix, we obtain solutions both for when the average field is nonzero and for when it is zero. The steady-state electromagnetic density is the same in both cases except for a small spontaneous-emission term. We show that the reason gas lasers do not satisfy rate equations is the existence of zeroth-order correlations between the internal atomic variables and atomic center-of-mass variables. It is these same zeroth-order correlations which are responsible for the Lamb dip. Our derivation includes collisions and reduces the calculations of their effect to quadrature.