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Physical Review A

Comparative study of anomalous dispersive transparent media

Andreas Wicht, R.-H. Rinkleff, L. Spani Molella, K. Danzmann

Published Dec 31, 2002• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a comparative theoretical analysis of five different atomic schemes with respect to their performance as negative (anomalous) dispersive transparent media. The schemes discussed are the strongly driven and the degenerate two-level system, two closely spaced gain lines, and two slightly different double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ schemes with incoherent pumping. The analysis shows that the degenerate two-level scheme is best suited for applications for which only modest negative dispersion but strongly reduced absorption is required, and dissipation and loss of the optical fields have to be avoided. Two closely spaced gain lines and one of the double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ schemes are the best choice for applications which rely on large negative dispersion, but are not too sensitive to residual absorption and dissipation.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.66.063815

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We present a comparative theoretical analysis of five different atomic schemes with respect to their performance as negative (anomalous) dispersive transparent media. The schemes discussed are the strongly driven and the degenerate two-level system, two closely spaced gain lines, and two slightly different double-\ensuremathΛ\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremathΛ schemes with incoherent pumping. The analysis shows that the degenerate two-level scheme is best suited for applications for which only modest negative dispersion but strongly reduced absorption is required, and dissipation and loss of the optical fields have to be avoided. Two closely spaced gain lines and one of the double-\ensuremathΛ\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremathΛ schemes are the best choice for applications which rely on large negative dispersion, but are not too sensitive to residual absorption and dissipation.
The absorption and dispersion properties of a driven two-level atomic system probed by a weak field have been measured simultaneously with a phase modulated Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We find that the resonant absorption and the negative dispersion are reduced with respect to the nondriving case by a factor of 490 and 47, respectively, which is in good agreement with the theory. This means a $\ensuremath{\sim}10$-fold enhancement of the amount of dispersion provided per amount of residual absorption. The experimental values are compared to the requirements that have to be fulfilled for the realization of a broadband, high finesse optical cavity. Finally, we propose a specific degenerate three-level system that overcomes some of the shortcomings of the driven two-level atom.
We analyse the propagation of a probe laser pulse though a medium of atoms in the double Λ configuration with two closely spaced upper levels. The medium is irradiated with a strong coherent field and is additionally incoherently pumped. Depending on the parameters of the system the dispersion of the medium may change alternatively from normal to anomalous with absorption varying from positive to negative (gain). The incoherent optical pump was found to be the switch between the sub- and the superluminal regime. A laser field propagating through such an optical system can experience alternatively the negative or positive group velocity. The dynamics of propagation in the case of positive but larger than c group velocities is investigated in particular. In this paper we show how the description in terms of the group velocity breaks down in the superluminal regime.
This study compares the experimental results of absorption and refractive index of a probe laser measured in a strongly driven two-level atom with the results measured in a degenerate two-level system using pump-probe spectroscopy. This work demonstrates the possibility of realization an anomalous dispersive transparent medium using the strongly driven 4s21S0- 4s4p1P1Ca transition. Absorption and phase shift profiles are measured as function of the driving field intensity using a Ca atomic beam. With increasing driving field intensities absorption and phase shift decrease, but the absorption decreases stronger than the dispersion. Results show that the resonant absorption and the anomalous dispersion are reduced with respect to the non-driving case by a factor 490 and 47, respectively. This means that a ~ 10-fold enhancement of the amount of dispersion provided per amount of absorption is attained.
Summary form only given. We study the optical properties of negative dispersive but nevertheless transparent media. Such medium can be generated using atomic phase coherence. Theoretical studies have shown that strongly driven two level systems may exhibit the desired optical properties, that is negative dispersion of a well defined amount at a point of vanishing absorption. When this medium is placed inside an optical resonator the linewidth is increased without sacrificing its build up. We present the experimental setup which is used to realize a negative dispersive non-absorbing medium. To obtain a strongly driven two level system a calcium atomic beam is pumped at the transition 4s/sup 21/S/sub 0//spl rarr/4s4p/sup 1/P/sub 1/. The optical properties of the beam are studied.
We describe a concept to realize a broadband high finesse optical cavity (white light cavity) using low-loss negative dispersive media. Two atomic systems are discussed, which allow transparency and λ-compensation, i.e. the dispersion of the medium compensates the frequency dependence of the vacuum wavelength. These atomic systems are (i) the driven two-level system and (ii) two closely spaced gain lines. We explain why the second scheme should provide better performance in terms of the realization of a white light cavity.
In this paper we investigate the dispersive and absorptive properties of a system of three-level cascade atoms driven by a strong coherent field. Three characteristic features are found. First, for the same set of atom-light interaction parameters, the indices of refraction are large at three different frequencies where the absorption vanishes. These three frequencies are determined by the resonance transition frequencies between dressed states produced by the strong driving field. Second, negative dispersion without absorption, which leads to superluminal light propagation, is achievable in the central resonance structure of the dispersion spectrum. Third, the whole absorption spectrum displays, in general, three pairs of absorption peaks and three pairs of gain (negative absorption) peaks. The minimal spacing between dressed states determines whether the outer adjacent gain peaks are separated from each other.