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Physical Review A

Propagation and nonlinear generation dynamics in a coherently prepared four-level system

Emmanuel Paspalakis, Niels J. Kylstra, P. L. Knight

Published Apr 24, 2002• 64 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We explore the laser-pulse propagation dynamics when one, two, or three pulses resonantly drive a coherently prepared four-level medium in a tripod configuration. If the system is prepared in a coherent superposition of two of the lower levels, we show that two incident resonant pulses can parametrically generate a third pulse in the medium. Over short distances, the propagation of this generated pulse can be partially controlled by varying the Rabi frequency of one of the driving fields. For a medium prepared in a coherent superposition of the three lower levels, we obtain a general expression for a three-photon Beer's length. Under specific conditions, the medium can either become completely opaque or completely transparent to three incident resonant pulses. Moreover, a single incident pulse can be used to parametrically generate two additional pulses. Finally, a general relationship is found that links the amplitudes of the initial superposition of states and the amplitudes of the pulses at large distances in the medium, implying that the initial superposition can be used to engineer the amplitudes of the exiting pulses.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.65.053808

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We explore the laser-pulse propagation dynamics when one, two, or three pulses resonantly drive a coherently prepared four-level medium in a tripod configuration. If the system is prepared in a coherent superposition of two of the lower levels, we show that two incident resonant pulses can parametrically generate a third pulse in the medium. Over short distances, the propagation of this generated pulse can be partially controlled by varying the Rabi frequency of one of the driving fields. For a medium prepared in a coherent superposition of the three lower levels, we obtain a general expression for a three-photon Beer's length. Under specific conditions, the medium can either become completely opaque or completely transparent to three incident resonant pulses. Moreover, a single incident pulse can be used to parametrically generate two additional pulses. Finally, a general relationship is found that links the amplitudes of the initial superposition of states and the amplitudes of the pulses at large distances in the medium, implying that the initial superposition can be used to engineer the amplitudes of the exiting pulses.
We theoretically study the coherent interaction of a tripod-type atomic system with three laser fields, i.e., one probe and two coupling, or two probe and one coupling field. Our analytical and numerical results show that, when all three fields are on two-photon resonance, in addition to the Rabi frequencies of the coupling fields, the probe group velocities also depend on the spontaneous decay rates and the initial population distribution. So we can manipulate the probe pulses to achieve controllable ultraslow group velocities by preparing different initial atomic states. With an incoherent pump field applied, a narrow transparent window accompanied by abnormal dispersion may occur in the probe absorption spectrum, which then allows us to switch a probe pulse from ultraslow to superluminal propagation.
Quantum coherence and interference in atomic systems can lead to interesting optical phenomena such as nonabsorbing resonances, lasing without inversion, generating an ultrahigh index of refraction without absorption, propagation of light pulses without losses. In the last-named is given the title transparency. Up to now it is known some types of transparency in multi-level resonant media. One of them is electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The phenomenon of EIT in the propagation of laser radiation through an absorbing medium has been recently investigated and explained in terms of quantum coherence and interference for multi-level atomic system. For instance in the (Lambda) -system, if the atomic medium is prepared in a quantum superposition of states, matched pulses, i.e., a pair of optical pulses whose amplitude and phase have a well defined relation, propagate without absorption. The mechanism of coherent population trapping is responsible for EIT in a (Lambda) -system. There is another, well known mechanism for creating transparency in a two-state atom: self-induced transparency, or SIT. Here, a single pulse whose area (the integral of its Rabi frequency over time) is 2(pi) is applied to the medium. Such a pulse causes the atoms to cycle smoothly from the ground to the excited state and then back again. In principle, such a pulse can propagate over long distances. SIT can be generalized to multi-level systems and multiple quasi-monochromatic fields. Generalization of SIT in a (Lambda) -system was obtained in reference 2. In this report we present a new type of transparency (combined transparency). This type describes propagation of laser pulse through a (Lambda) -type medium where the initial atomic state is prepared in the form of spatially varying coherent superposition of low-energetic states (initial coherency gradient). The common envelope behaves as usual 2(pi) hyperbolic secant pulse, but the ratio between the components of frequencies transitions 1> yields 3> and 2> yields 3> changes due to coherent Raman scattering so (phi) equals atan(E1/E2) equals (pi) /2-Gz, where z is the coordinate, G is the constant determined by both the incident pulse parameters and the initial coherence between the atomic states. Our solution demonstrates a direct connection of EIT in adiabatic regime to the SIT effects. This type of a transparency is given the title screw-type transparency, because for the given form of incident pulse (pitch of screw) medium is transparent, if medium's the initial coherence gradient is correspondingly prepared (thread on a engine nut). Besides a transparency, this phenomenon contains a transformation of the incident pulse frequency during the process of the propagation. This property of the phenomena can be result in a complete conversion of the frequency.
This paper shows that it is theoretically possible for a medium to generate two copies of an incoming probe pulse as a result of the successive action of two control pulses under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency. The medium is treated in the model of two-level atoms with threefold degeneration of the lower level (tripod configuration). The three laser-radiation pulses differ in polarization, and the propagation directions of the probe pulse and the two control pulses are orthogonal. The calculation uses a semiclassical approach, the slow-amplitude approximation, and the fixed-field approximation of the control pulses.
We investigate the problem of propagation of three-component resonant light pulses with adiabatically varying amplitudes through a medium consisting of atoms with the tripod level configuration. By means of both analytic and numerical methods we find the two modes of shape-preserving pulse propagation. The pulse propagation velocity of the fast mode is equal to the speed of light in vacuum, whereas the group velocity of the other (slow) mode is significantly slowed down. These two modes represent a general asymptotic solution of the problem of adiabatic pulse propagation, i.e., a pulse of any shape, which is consistent with the adiabaticity conditions, and a finite duration evolves at large propagation distances (and, correspondingly, at large times of interaction with the medium) to a well-separated pair of fast and slow pulses. The experimental requirements for adiabatic pulse propagation in a tripod medium are similar to that needed for observation of slow light propagation in a medium with the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ configuration of levels. However, the tripod scheme offers a different possibility, which is absent in the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-medium case: collisions of fast and slow pulses. It is found numerically that after such a collision the shapes of the pulses change, so these pulses do not match the classical definition of a soliton.