The ac Stark effect is a well-known, well-established effect associated with the displacement of the atomic energy levels in the presence of an electromagnetic (e.m.) field. As the origin of the e.m. field is irrelevant, a self-induced ac Stark effect should be present in a laser. However, not only has this effect never been reported but it is not included in any laser model. Here, we show that a self-induced ac Stark shift does exist in the theoretical description of a two-level laser, provided that the reduced equations are derived not from the rotating-wave approximation, but from the full density matrix formulation. Interesting fundamental consequences are discussed and quantitative estimates of the self-induced frequency shift resulting from the laser field's ac Stark shift are obtained for a variety of lasers. We find that the effect is generally small but (at least in some cases) measurable and that the transfer of laser amplitude noise into frequency noise may play a role in future, ultrahigh-precision metrological applications.The ac Stark effect is a well-known, well-established effect associated with the displacement of the atomic energy levels in the presence of an electromagnetic (e.m.) field. As the origin of the e.m. field is irrelevant, a self-induced ac Stark effect should be present in a laser. However, not only has this effect never been reported but it is not included in any laser model. Here, we show that a self-induced ac Stark shift does exist in the theoretical description of a two-level laser, provided that the reduced equations are derived not from the rotating-wave approximation, but from the full density matrix formulation. Interesting fundamental consequences are discussed and quantitative estimates of the self-induced frequency shift resulting from the laser field's ac Stark shift are obtained for a variety of lasers. We find that the effect is generally small but (at least in some cases) measurable and that the transfer of laser amplitude noise into frequency noise may play a role in future, ultrahigh-precision metrological applications.

Physical Review AApr 29, 20119 citations

AC-Stark Shift of Atomic Levels

Nikolai B. Delone, В. П. Крайнов

Springer eBooksJan 1, 19940 citations

Compensation of ac Stark shifts in optical magnetometry

Irina V. Novikova, Andrey B. Matsko, Vladimir L Velichansky +2 more

The ac Stark shift of the resonance frequency of the nonlinear magneto-optic effect (NMOE) results in a fundamental broadening of this resonance which limits the precision of optical magnetometry based on NMOE. We have studied the dependence of the ac Stark shift versus frequency of the probing laser for the ${D}_{1}$ and ${D}_{2}$ lines of ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb},$ and have shown that there exists a frequency where the shifts from different hyperfine components of the upper level cancel each other. This holds promise for an in-principle increase in the sensitivity of optical magnetometers. The influence of buffer gas on Faraday rotation and ac Stark shifts is also considered.The ac Stark shift of the resonance frequency of the nonlinear magneto-optic effect (NMOE) results in a fundamental broadening of this resonance which limits the precision of optical magnetometry based on NMOE. We have studied the dependence of the ac Stark shift versus frequency of the probing laser for the ${D}_{1}$ and ${D}_{2}$ lines of ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb},$ and have shown that there exists a frequency where the shifts from different hyperfine components of the upper level cancel each other. This holds promise for an in-principle increase in the sensitivity of optical magnetometers. The influence of buffer gas on Faraday rotation and ac Stark shifts is also considered.

Physical Review AMay 7, 200147 citations

AC-Stark Shift of Atomic Levels

Nikolai B. Delone, В. П. Крайнов

Springer eBooksJan 1, 20000 citations

{D}_{1}

and

{D}_{2}

lines of

{}^{87}\mathrm{Rb},

and have shown that there exists a frequency where the shifts from different hyperfine components of the upper level cancel each other. This holds promise for an in-principle increase in the sensitivity of optical magnetometers. The influence of buffer gas on Faraday rotation and ac Stark shifts is also considered.