Phase determination of second-order coherence function

Zhang Yan-peng, WU Hong-cai, Keqing Lu +1 more

Based on the second-order coherence function, we have studied a phase-conjugate ultrafast modulation spectroscopy due to the interference between the fifth- and fifth-order optical polarizations in cascade three-level Doppler-broadened system. It is found that the temporal behaviour of the beat signal depends on the stochastic properties of the lasers and the transverse relaxation rate of the transition. The beat signal depends on the second-order coherence function, which is determined by the laser line shape. Since different stochastic models of the laser field only affect higher than second-order coherence functions, they have little influence on the general temporal modulation behaviour of the beat signal. The cases that pump beams have either narrow band or broadband linewidth are considered and it has been found that for both cases the overall accuracy for the energy-level difference measurement is determined by the homogeneous linewidths of the optical transitions. Finally, the spatial modulation behaviour of the beat signal has also been discussed.

Ravinder Nath, Pradumn Kumar

Ravinder Nath

Tom Kuusela

We describe photon statistics experiments using pseudothermal light that can be performed in an undergraduate physics laboratory. We examine the light properties in terms of a second-order coherence function, as determined either by measuring the light intensity as a function of time or via coincidence analysis of a pair of photon detectors. We determine the coherence time and intensity distribution of the pseudothermal light source that exhibits either Gaussian or non-Gaussian statistics as a function of their optical parameters, and then compare the results with theoretical predictions. The simple photodiode method can be used for the qualitative analysis of the coherence time, but more accurate measurements are achieved using the coincidence method.

J.L. McMillan

Yanpeng Zhang, Tiantong Tang, Liqun Sun +1 more

The effect of fourth-order coherence on ultrafast modulation spectroscopy with phase-conjugation geometry (PCUMS) in a cascade three-level system is investigated using chaotic and phase-diffusion models. It has been found that the temporal behavior of the beat signal depends on the stochastic properties of the lasers and the transverse relaxation rate of the transitions, and the modulation terms of the beat signal depend on the second-order coherence function, which is determined by the laser line shape. Since different stochastic models of the laser field affect only the fourth-order coherence function, they have little influence on the general temporal modulation behavior of the beat signal. The different roles of the phase fluctuation and amplitude fluctuation can be investigated in the time domain. The cases where the pump beams have either a narrow or broad band linewidth are considered and it has been found that for both cases a Doppler-free precision in the measurement of the energy-level difference between two states can be achieved. The difference between the PCUMS and the DeBeer, UMS [D. DeBeer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 1128 (1986)] is discussed as well from a physical viewpoint.