Physical Review A
Coherent population dynamics in rubidium atoms excited by resonant 0π pulses
Ticijana Ban, Damir Aumiler, Silvije Vdović, Nataša Vujičić, Hrvoje Skenderović, Goran Pichler
Abstract
We investigate the time dynamics of a four-level rubidium atomic system excited by a train of $0\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulses. Resonant $0\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse shaping is achieved by propagation of weak femtosecond pulses through rubidium vapor and characterized using frequency-resolved optical gating and within the linear dispersion theory. The excitation of the Rb atoms by $0\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse train is studied experimentally by modified direct frequency comb spectroscopy and theoretically within the density-matrix approach. We show that accumulation of populations and coherences, as typical pulse train excitation effects, strongly depend on the strength of the resonant $0\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse shaping. Stronger pulse shaping reduces the coherent accumulation effects, eventually leading to the disappearance of the velocity selective optical pumping observed in the frequency domain.