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Physical Review Letters

Self-Induced Transparency and Resonant Self-Focusing in Atomic Iodine Vapor

J. J. Bannister, H. J. Baker, Terence A. King, W. G. McNaught

Published Apr 21, 1980• 27 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Self-induced transparency has been observed for the degenerate, $F=3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4$, hyperfine component of the 1.315-\ensuremath{\mu}m magnetic dipole transition of atomic iodine, at high optical power levels, up to 50 MW ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. For pulse areas approaching $2\ensuremath{\pi}$, the dynamics of the strong coherent resonant self-focusing which accompanies self-induced transparency have been studied with a streak camera to provide time-dependent analysis of the spatial beam profile.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.44.1062

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•Jun 21, 2004•0 citations
Self-induced transparency has been observed for the degenerate, F=3\ensuremath→4F=3\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4F=3\ensuremath→4, hyperfine component of the 1.315-\ensuremath{\mu}m magnetic dipole transition of atomic iodine, at high optical power levels, up to 50 MW cm\ensuremath−2{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}cm\ensuremath−2. For pulse areas approaching 2\ensuremathπ2\ensuremath{\pi}2\ensuremathπ, the dynamics of the strong coherent resonant self-focusing which accompanies self-induced transparency have been studied with a streak camera to provide time-dependent analysis of the spatial beam profile.
Self-induced transparency has been observed on a Q(2)Q(2)Q(2)-degenerate transition for the first time. Coherent interaction occurs as a short pulse from the $^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}F=2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}=2$, magnetic dipole transition of the atomic-iodine laser passes through a self-resonant iodine vapor. High transparency and considerable pulse delay at input pulse areas $\ensuremath{\theta}>\ensuremath{\pi}$, and small-pulse splitting at $\ensuremath{\theta}\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{\pi}$ characterized the phenomena.
Coherent propagation of intense short laser pulses through degenerate absorbing media is investigated with the use of an atomic-iodine laser-absorber self-resonant combination. Four degenerate systems, the $^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}\ensuremath{-}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}$, $F=3\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}=4$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}{M}_{F}=0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ and $F=2\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}=2$, $\ensuremath{\Delta}{M}_{F}=0,\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$ transitions, are studied under various conditions. Theoretical analysis based on the "pulse-area---pulse-energy" approach shows different pulse propagation behaviors for three typical types of degeneracy. Experimental results give good agreement with theoretical predictions. It is concluded that self-induced transparency exists in any degenerate two-level system, provided that suitable polarization of radiation is used. The usefulness of self-induced-transparency phenomena for measurements of transitional dipole moment and homogeneous relaxation time is also demonstrated.
Self-induced transparency (SIT) has been observed on a Q(J)-branch transition (J=2) for the first time. Coherent field-matter interaction was studied using a photodissociation atomic iodine laser system operating on the 2P1/2 F=2 →2P3/2 F′=2 magnetic dipole hyperfine transition and a self-resonant iodine vapour. With linearly polarized radiation the propagation phenomena are characterized by high transparency and large time delay at pulse areas θ > π and small-pulse splitting at θ ≃ π. With circularly polarized radiation, non-degenerate SIT is observed. The results can be explained by the dynamic effects of the different dipole moments involved in the process.
The observation of self-induced transparency on the magnetic dipole 2P1/2 F = 3 5 2P3/2 F′ = 4, j MF = 0 transition of atomic iodine has been extended to cover pulse areas up to 4 ~. Laser pulses of various areas have been shown to be reshaped considerably by the coherent field-matter interaction. Pulses have been found to narrow by two-thirds for a 3 ~ -pulse. The lower limit of the homogeneous relaxation time T′2 of atomic iodine vapour is determined from pulse broadening and transmission measurements.
We performed the experiment of self-induced transparency in samarium atomic vapor under the condition of high temperature and high density. The sudden onset of the transmission, the maximum pulse delay and the pulse broadening were observed with π pulse. With this result we estimate the dipole moment of the transition line for 152 Sm. The peak amplification, the pulse narrowing and the pulse breakup were observed when the pulse area was above 3π. These observations are strong evidences of self-induced transparency. Our result is the observation of self-induced transparency under the highest-temperature, highest-density condition and the first observation of this phenomenon in samarium vapor to our knowledge.