Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review Letters

New field-induced axial and circular birefringence effects

Myron Wyn Evans

Published Jun 11, 1990• 39 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Axial and circular birefringence effects are introduced which conserve parity and time-reversal invariance, and which are induced by time-varying electric fields and electromagnetic fields. In each case the symmetry of the complete experiment is considered, and equations for the birefringence are given in terms of molecular-property tensors of the ensemble.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.64.2909

Related papers

Axial birefringence due to electromagnetic fields: Spin chiral effects

Myron Wyn Evans

Physics Letters A•Jun 1, 1990•9 citations

A Theoretical Development of the Optical Zeeman Effect

M. W. Evans

A theory of the optical Zeeman effect is developed in terms of the angular polarisability, **i, a fundamental property of both atoms and molecules. It is shown that **i is negative to motion reversal T and parity inversion P, and forms an interaction hamiltonian with the T negative, P positive conjugate product pi(i) of a circularly polarised pump laser. This activates the T negative **i, which is the axial vector equivalent of the imaginary part of the atomic or molecular electronic polarisability, an antisymmetric polar tensor. The quantity pi(i) is proportional to the square of the electric field strength of the laser, and disappears if the latter is not circularly polarised. This distinguishes the optical Zeeman effect from the experimentally measured optical Autler Townes effect, which is mediated by the symmetric, T positive, real part of the dynamic electronic polarisability. The optical Zeeman effect is accompanied by circular birefringence and the bulk magnetisation of the inverse Faraday effect.

•Nov 1, 1990•0 citations

Selective Induced Magnetic Dichroism and Birefringence in a Left-Handed Medium

Haris Waleed Abbasi, Yasir Saeed, Nadia Boutabba +1 more

Birefringence and dichroism in atomic systems are active areas of research. Circular dichroism is typically observed in chiral atoms, molecules (such as DNA), and optically asymmetric materials. These phenomena enable polarization-based selectivity and high-precision measurements with applications in optical systems, biomedical diagnostics, and advanced photonics.Meanwhile, negative refractive index materials offer exotic applications in optics and photonics, including super-resolution imaging, invisibility cloaking, and sub-wavelength imaging. Here, we identify a novel route to achieving birefringence and dichroism in a left-handed system for the first time.We investigate the optical activity of an atomic left-handed medium, analyzing the interaction of left- and right-circularly polarized light with different atomic states while incorporating local field corrections. Notably, our results demonstrate simultaneous left-handedness for both polarization states. Furthermore, we find that electric birefringence and dichroism are significantly enhanced with increasing control field strength, while magnetic birefringence and dichroism can be fully controlled via strong laser coupling.These findings have promising implications for spintronics, image transmission in metamaterials, and the development of optical switches and high-speed data transmission devices, opening new avenues in quantum optics and photonics.

•Jul 22, 2025•0 citations

Coherent States and Transition Probabilities in a Time-Dependent Electromagnetic Field

I.A. Malkin, Vladimir I. Man’ko, D. A. Trifonov

New time-dependent invariants for the $N$-dimensional nonstationary harmonic oscillator and for a charged particle in a varying axially symmetric classical electromagnetic field are found. For these quantum systems, coherent states are introduced, and the Green's functions are obtained in closed form. For a special type of electromagnetic field which is constant in the remote past and future, the transition amplitudes between both arbitrary coherent states and energy eigenstates are calculated and expressed in terms of classical polynomials. The adiabatic approximation and adiabatic invariants are discussed. In the special case of a particle with time-dependent mass, the solution of the Schr\"odinger equation is found. The symmetry of nonstationary Hamiltonians is discussed, and the noncompact group $U(N, 1)$ is shown to be the group of dynamical symmetry for the time-dependent $N$-dimensional oscillator.

Physical review. D. Particles, fields, gravitation, and cosmology/Physical review. D. Particles and fields•Oct 15, 1970•204 citations

Effect of light polarization on the electromagnetically induced transparency and birefringence in a cylindrical quantum dot with spin–orbit interaction

Hassan Randjbar Askari, Zahra Raki

Superlattices and Microstructures•Apr 1, 2014•13 citations

Time-reversal symmetry in optics*

Gerd Leuchs, M Sondermann

The utilization of time-reversal symmetry in designing and implementing (quantum) optical experiments has become more and more frequent over the last few years. We review the basic idea underlying time-reversal methods, illustrate it with several examples and discuss a number of implications.

arXiv:1205.1374•Physica Scripta•Apr 20, 2012•30 citations
Axial and circular birefringence effects are introduced which conserve parity and time-reversal invariance, and which are induced by time-varying electric fields and electromagnetic fields. In each case the symmetry of the complete experiment is considered, and equations for the birefringence are given in terms of molecular-property tensors of the ensemble.
A theory of the optical Zeeman effect is developed in terms of the angular polarisability, **i, a fundamental property of both atoms and molecules. It is shown that **i is negative to motion reversal T and parity inversion P, and forms an interaction hamiltonian with the T negative, P positive conjugate product pi(i) of a circularly polarised pump laser. This activates the T negative **i, which is the axial vector equivalent of the imaginary part of the atomic or molecular electronic polarisability, an antisymmetric polar tensor. The quantity pi(i) is proportional to the square of the electric field strength of the laser, and disappears if the latter is not circularly polarised. This distinguishes the optical Zeeman effect from the experimentally measured optical Autler Townes effect, which is mediated by the symmetric, T positive, real part of the dynamic electronic polarisability. The optical Zeeman effect is accompanied by circular birefringence and the bulk magnetisation of the inverse Faraday effect.
Birefringence and dichroism in atomic systems are active areas of research. Circular dichroism is typically observed in chiral atoms, molecules (such as DNA), and optically asymmetric materials. These phenomena enable polarization-based selectivity and high-precision measurements with applications in optical systems, biomedical diagnostics, and advanced photonics.Meanwhile, negative refractive index materials offer exotic applications in optics and photonics, including super-resolution imaging, invisibility cloaking, and sub-wavelength imaging. Here, we identify a novel route to achieving birefringence and dichroism in a left-handed system for the first time.We investigate the optical activity of an atomic left-handed medium, analyzing the interaction of left- and right-circularly polarized light with different atomic states while incorporating local field corrections. Notably, our results demonstrate simultaneous left-handedness for both polarization states. Furthermore, we find that electric birefringence and dichroism are significantly enhanced with increasing control field strength, while magnetic birefringence and dichroism can be fully controlled via strong laser coupling.These findings have promising implications for spintronics, image transmission in metamaterials, and the development of optical switches and high-speed data transmission devices, opening new avenues in quantum optics and photonics.
New time-dependent invariants for the NNN-dimensional nonstationary harmonic oscillator and for a charged particle in a varying axially symmetric classical electromagnetic field are found. For these quantum systems, coherent states are introduced, and the Green's functions are obtained in closed form. For a special type of electromagnetic field which is constant in the remote past and future, the transition amplitudes between both arbitrary coherent states and energy eigenstates are calculated and expressed in terms of classical polynomials. The adiabatic approximation and adiabatic invariants are discussed. In the special case of a particle with time-dependent mass, the solution of the Schr\"odinger equation is found. The symmetry of nonstationary Hamiltonians is discussed, and the noncompact group U(N,1)U(N, 1)U(N,1) is shown to be the group of dynamical symmetry for the time-dependent NNN-dimensional oscillator.