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Laser Physics

Variable spectral filter based on optically saturated selective reflection

Vladimir A. Sautenkov, Hebin Li, M A Gubin, Yuri V. Rostovtsev, Marlan O. Scully

Published Dec 4, 2010• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have studied the selective reflection from glass-rubidium vapor interface at a large incidence angle in pump-probe experiment. The linear reflectivity can be more than 0.9 in a narrow spectral range (several GHz) at the blue side of the atomic resonance. The effect can be called the reduced total selective reflection. The reflectivity has been decreased two times due to the optical saturation. The obtained results can be used to develop a variable optical filter or optical switcher. Our estimations show that switching time can be less than the natural lifetime of the excited state. We suggested a multi-reflection scheme to increase the contrast of the variable spectral filter.

DOI
10.1134/s1054660x1101018x

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We have studied the selective reflection from glass-rubidium vapor interface at a large incidence angle in pump-probe experiment. The linear reflectivity can be more than 0.9 in a narrow spectral range (several GHz) at the blue side of the atomic resonance. The effect can be called the reduced total selective reflection. The reflectivity has been decreased two times due to the optical saturation. The obtained results can be used to develop a variable optical filter or optical switcher. Our estimations show that switching time can be less than the natural lifetime of the excited state. We suggested a multi-reflection scheme to increase the contrast of the variable spectral filter.
Nonlinear selective reflection from the interface YAG window-high density rubidium vapor in the high-temperature cell is studied at the transition 5S1/2_{1/2}1/2​-5P3/2_{3/2}3/2​. In the experiment tunable pump and probe lasers are used. The selective reflection spectra for the laser probe beam are investigated at four different rubidium atomic densities and five different pump beam intensities. The estimated dipole-dipole interaction-induced line broadening varies from 13.213.213.2 to 39.639.639.6 GHz, the measured pumped intensities change from 1.21.21.2 to 8.88.88.8 kW⋅\cdot⋅cm−2^{-2}−2. Growth of the pump intensity causes reduction of the magnitude and the width of the recorded selective reflection resonance. We suggest developing all-optical modulators on the basis of nonlinear selective reflection.
We present an experimental study of nonlinear selective reflection at a dielectric--Cs-vapor interface, in a three-level cascade-up scheme. The nonlinear reflection at the Cs D2{\mathit{D}}_{2}D2​ resonance line is monitored in the presence of resonant irradiation at 621 nm or 658 nm (6P3/2{\mathit{P}}_{3/2}P3/2​\ensuremath{\rightarrow}8D5/2{\mathit{D}}_{5/2}D5/2​,9S1/2{\mathit{S}}_{1/2}S1/2​). Experimental reflection spectra with either counterpropagating or copropagating light beams are analyzed and compared with the theoretical predictions of F. Schuller et al. [Phys. Rev. A 47, 519 (1993)]. For a blue-detuned pump and copropagating geometry an alternative type of three-level coherent reflection resonances, specifically associated with desorbing atoms, is observed. Also observed is the nonlinear reflection associated with the off-resonant, two-photon dispersion of atoms moving parallel to the window surface. Probe beam saturation is responsible for the appearance of additional resonant features in reflection spectra. Finally we analyze crossover spectral resonances which arise from nondegenerate, four-wave-mixing processes induced by the combined influence of counterpropagating pump and probe beams, and the pump beam being partially reflected by the window.
We calculate the reflection coefficient for a light beam incident on the interface between a dielectric and a resonant atomic vapor to first order in the dipole polarization in the vapor. The angle of incidence and the polarization direction are chosen arbitrarily, and saturation is fully accounted for. The atoms are supposed to get deexcited at collisions with the surface. The resulting transient behavior of atoms leaving the surface is responsible for a nonlocal response. This spatial dispersion near the surface is known to produce a natural-linewidth-limited resonance in the vapor reflection coefficient at normal incidence. Our analysis shows that this sub-Doppler structure is broadened by the residual Doppler effect for non-normal incidence. This structure disappears at the critical angle for total internal reflection, where one predicts a conventional Voigt-type dispersion response, based on the complex-refractive-index approach. We also calculate the saturation broadening of the atomic response for large intensities. Beyond the critical angle, the spectral response suddenly shifts from dispersion to absorption line shapes. In the case of total internal reflection, the spatial dispersion leads to an additional Lorentzian broadening, which results from an effective imaginary Doppler shift at passage through the evanescent wave (transit-time broadening).
We consider nonlinear selective reflection on the interface between dielectric media and dilute vapors of three-level atoms. Assuming a pump-probe scheme with cascade-type excitation, we study the modification \ensuremath{\Delta}R of the reflection coefficient of the probe induced by the presence of the pump. We extend previous calculations of the frequency spectrum of \ensuremath{\Delta}R made for low probe power to the case of arbitrary probe power. One then obtains a strong resonance which has already been observed experimentally. Moreover, for the two-photon resonance present in the low-intensity spectrum, a power splitting can be predicted with increasing intensity \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
We have investigated the nonlinear selective reflection of a laser beam (λ = 780 nm) from a high density rubidium vapor. The laser frequency was tuned over atomic transitions and coherent optical excitation of the atomic vapor was realized. The observed narrowing of reflection spectral profile is associated with a competition of two nonlinear processes: optical field induced coherent broadening (Rabi broadening) and optical saturation induced decreasing of dipole–dipole broadening of atomic transitions. For more complete understanding the spectral narrowing we suggest to perform a set of new experiments.