Abstract Double resonance, resonance Raman and resonance fluorescence are discussed in terms of a superposition of adiabatic states. The adiabatic states are the instantaneous eigenstates of a two‐level Hamiltonian which includes the interaction with a near‐resonant coherent pulse and which has been transformed by a unitary transformation so that its only time‐dependence is that of the field envelope of the pulse. Resonance Raman results from spontaneous transitions to a third, lower state from the adiabatic following state which reduces to the initial (lower) state of the two‐level system in the absence of radiation. Resonance fluorescence is produced by spontaneous transition to the lower third state from the upper adiabatic state which reduces to the upper state of the two‐level system in the absence of radiation. Differential equations allowing the calculation of the probability amplitudes of the adiabatic states are given and a method of solving these equations by successive approximation is proposed. Saturation effects such as dynamic Stark shift and splitting (Autler—Townes effect) and optical nutation are interpreted in terms of perturbation of adiabatic energy levels and interference effects between adiabatic states. The possibility of observing optical nutation in a two‐level system by using time‐resolved double resonance experiments is suggested. Decay of the states of the two‐level system is taken into account leading to extended adiabaticity conditions which show that adiabatic following becomes possible even at resonance. For weak fields it is shown that adiabatic following at resonance can produce light scattering narrower than the linewidth as predicted by Heitler. The adiabatic states theory has also been extended to near‐resonance multiphoton interaction for systems that can be described by an effective two‐level Hamiltonian.
Abstract Double resonance, resonance Raman and resonance fluorescence are discussed in terms of a superposition of adiabatic states. The adiabatic states are the instantaneous eigenstates of a two‐level Hamiltonian which includes the interaction with a near‐resonant coherent pulse and which has been transformed by a unitary transformation so that its only time‐dependence is that of the field envelope of the pulse. Resonance Raman results from spontaneous transitions to a third, lower state from the adiabatic following state which reduces to the initial (lower) state of the two‐level system in the absence of radiation. Resonance fluorescence is produced by spontaneous transition to the lower third state from the upper adiabatic state which reduces to the upper state of the two‐level system in the absence of radiation. Differential equations allowing the calculation of the probability amplitudes of the adiabatic states are given and a method of solving these equations by successive approximation is proposed. Saturation effects such as dynamic Stark shift and splitting (Autler—Townes effect) and optical nutation are interpreted in terms of perturbation of adiabatic energy levels and interference effects between adiabatic states. The possibility of observing optical nutation in a two‐level system by using time‐resolved double resonance experiments is suggested. Decay of the states of the two‐level system is taken into account leading to extended adiabaticity conditions which show that adiabatic following becomes possible even at resonance. For weak fields it is shown that adiabatic following at resonance can produce light scattering narrower than the linewidth as predicted by Heitler. The adiabatic states theory has also been extended to near‐resonance multiphoton interaction for systems that can be described by an effective two‐level Hamiltonian.
A nonperturbative analysis is given for an n-level atom or molecule dressed by a Stark field and in single-photon or multiphoton (near) resonant interaction with coherent optical field modes, which may be intense. All the field amplitudes and phases may have nonadiabatic time variation. New formulas for probability amplitudes of states with finite lifetimes are given for atom-field levels swept or optical Stark shifted through resonance or into close approach. One of these includes the Landau-Zener formula as a special case. Power broadening is contained in these formulas. They are useful for both weak- and strong-field interaction. Further, it is shown that many familiar single-photon coherent transient phenomena have their analogs in the intense-field and the multiphoton domains. Two new effects, pulse-shape dependence in final transition probability and population inversion due to the nonadiabatic passage of an asymmetric pulse, are demonstrated with numerical results for the process $\mathrm{Na}(3s)+2\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{Na}(5s)$. Finally, double resonance (single-photon and/or multiphoton) is analyzed, with discussion of adiabatic following and a derivation of a formula for level crossing. Generalization of an earlier procedure for solving the adiabatic eigenvalue problem of the whole atom-field system is given.
The approximation of nonoverlapping lines is used to calculate spectra of resonance fluorescence and Raman scattering when two- and three-level atoms are pumped by a smooth pulse of duration comparable with the excited-state lifetime. The difference between the quasienergy terms, that determines the satellite frequency, depends on time and has the same value twice, at the pulse leading and trailing edges, so that interference may occur between the radiation produced in the appropriate parts of the pulse. However, the interference pattern is blurred since radiative broadening destroys the coherence. Relationships are obtained between the parameters for which interference may be observed. An analysis is made of the change to short pulses when allowance can be made for the scattered field using the first order of perturbation theory.
In the presence of coherent saturated near-resonant two-photon excitation, the ordinary Raman scattering line is replaced by a dynamic Stark shifted or Stark split doublet, and Rabi nutations appear in the time-resolved ordinary Raman spectrum. The relative intensity of the peaks of the doublet depends on the shape and on the average frequency of the exciting pulse. Striking new features arise from the interfering contributions of the upper and lower states of the two-photon transition to the Raman scattering process. The theory is applied to Raman scattering in atomic Na in the presence of the 3 2 S 1 2/(F=1, M F =1) to 4 2 D 3 2,5/2/(F=3,M F =3) two-photon resonances.
The theory of resonance Raman effect, resonantly enhanced two-photon absorption, and resonance fluorescence---valid also for strong fields---is treated in a unified and simplified way. Dressed states, Bloch equations, and perturbation theory are used to calculate line positions, and integrated intensities both for steady state and transient excitation. The case of adiabatic following is solved explicitly; it occurs when an off-resonance incident pulse is turned on and off slowly. It leads to the identification of Raman scattering, two-photon absorption, and Rayleigh scattering with an adiabatic process while fluorescence and consecutive two-photon absorption with nonadiabaticity. Time-dependent spectra are defined in a rigorous way. Our formulas agree in the various limits with those that appear in the literature.
Light emission under near-resonant excitation by a pulsed optical field is described using a semiclassical (Bloch) model for the near-resonant transition. Adiabatic excitation of this transition leads to Raman emission, whereas nonadiabaticity gives fluorescence. The model describes quantitatively observed relaxation effects. It further predicts that such experiments can determine the power spectrum of the correlation function characterizing collisions, offering an alternative to off-resonance spectroscopy.
The interaction of simple, two- and three-level atomic systems with monochromatic and nonmonochromatic laser radiation near resonance transitions is discussed based on the Schroedinger equation with radiation decay and no collisional relaxation, outside the framework of the usual perturbation theory. The mathematical schemes employed include the resonance approximation, exact methods, the quasi-energy method, the adiabatic approximation, etc. A large number of physical phenomena, such as oscillating and inverted populations, self-induced resonances, processes of first order in the weak field, Raman scattering, coherent population transfer, etc. are considered. The review is intended for a broad readership.