Physical Review A

Nonlinear optical generation with reduced absorption using electric-field coupling in atomic hydrogen

K. Hakuta, L. Marmet, Boris Peter Stoicheff

Published Apr 1, 1992• 83 citations

Abstract

Resonantly enhanced second-harmonic generation in atomic hydrogen was investigated near 121.6 nm. With the application of a dc electric field, it is shown that coupling of the 2s and 2p states produces resonantly enhanced nonlinear susceptibility and reduced absorption at the second-harmonic wavelength, resulting in an increased net efficiency of the second-harmonic-generation process.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.45.5152

Related papers

Electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation with reduced absorption in atomic hydrogen

K. Hakuta, L. Marmet, Boris Peter Stoicheff

We show that dc-electric-field coupling of the 2s and 2p states in atomic hydrogen leads to resonantly enhanced second-order susceptibility with reduced absorption at the second-harmonic wavelength, and exact phase matching at the center of the Stark-split components.

Physical Review LettersFeb 4, 1991349 citations

Second harmonic generation in atomic hydrogen

L. Marmet, K. Hakuta

Second harmonic generation (SHG) in free atoms is one of the unsolved problems in nonlinear optics. The most probable mechanism is due to Stark mixing between nearby excited states through an electric field caused by charge separation through the process of three-photon ionization. To test the mechanism, atomic hydrogen appears to be the best candidate because of its well-known electronic structure and large dipole moments of its excited states. In this work we report on the observation of SHG in atomic hydrogen in the Lyman-α region. Pulsed dye laser radiation was doubled and tuned to 243 nm for excitation of the 2s ← 1s transition at 121.6 nm by a two-photon resonance process. A cw atomic beam was used with hydrogen atoms generated in a dc discharge of H2 gas. The laser beam was focused ~1 mm below the nozzle where the hydrogen atom density was estimated to be 1013 cm−3. The second harmonic radiation was strongly enhanced by adding an external dc field of up to 10 kV/cm. Stark splitting was clearly observed at higher fields.

Annual Meeting Optical Society of AmericaJan 1, 19890 citations

Nonlinear optical generation with electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic hydrogen

K. Hakuta, G. Z. Zhang, Masayoshi Ohta +2 more

Nonlinear optical generation using electromagnetically induced transparency is demonstrated for the first time. An atomic hydrogen is used as a test atom. By applying a strong‐coupling laser field to the 3p‐2s transition, the resonant 3p‐1s transition becomes transparent with keeping the resonantly enhanced value on the nonlinear susceptibility. The generated sum‐frequency radiation at 103 nm can grow without suffering from the resonant absorption and phase‐mismatching.

AIP conference proceedingsJan 1, 19930 citations

Nonlinear optical generation using electromagnetically induced transparency in atomic hydrogen

G. Z. Zhang, K. Hakuta, Boris Peter Stoicheff

Nonlinear optical generation using electromagnetically induced transparency is demonstrated with atomic hydrogen as a test medium. With the application of a strong-coupling laser field to the 3p-2s transition, the resonant Lyman-\ensuremath{\beta} (3p-1s) transition becomes transparent. The generated-sum-frequency Lyman-\ensuremath{\beta} radiation at 103 nm can continue to grow without suffering resonant absorption and phase mismatching.

Physical Review LettersNov 8, 1993150 citations

Large dc-electric-field-induced nonlinear optical susceptibility of hydrogen atomic vapors

Robert W. Boyd, Lian-Qin Xiang

A unique set of circumstances makes the Rydberg states of atoms ideal for mediating tunable, resonantly enhanced, nonlinear optical interactions. The application of a dc electric field to a vapor of such atoms can induce a second-order or\chi^{(2)}nonlinear susceptibility, which in the absence of the applied field would be forbidden by reasons of symmetry. This paper presents an exact expression, valid within the hydrogenic approximation for field strengths that produce a linear Stark effect, for the resonant contribution to the dc-electric-field-induced\chi^{(2)}susceptibility. Numerical evaluation of this expression for field strengths of the order of 103V/cm predict\chi^{(2)}susceptibilities hundreds of times larger than those of conventional mixing crystals.

IEEE Journal of Quantum ElectronicsAug 1, 198216 citations

Nonlinear generation of 103 nm radiation with electromagnetically-induced transparency in atomic hydrogen

R. I. Thompson, Boris Peter Stoicheff, G Z Zhang +1 more

Four-wave mixing in atomic hydrogen with the generation of coherent Lyman- beta radiation at 102.6 nm was investigated experimentally and theoretically in the low density limit. We demonstrate that in this doubly-resonant system, the application of intense laser radiation to strongly couple the 2s and 3p levels causes transparency in the 3p from 1s transition, leading to reduced absorption of the generated Lyman- beta radiation, and to increased conversion efficiency.

Quantum Optics Journal of the European Optical Society Part BAug 1, 199412 citations