Density matrix formalism is used to study resonance fluorescence processes of isolated gaseous molecules. The Wangsness–Bloch–Fano theory is applied to the irreversible intramolecular relaxation process. In the present treatment, it is assumed that the rotational angular momentum J is a constant of motion in the zeroth order approximation. Thus intramolecular interactions can be classified as tensor operators with respect to J. The fluorescence decay patterns depend on excitation bandwidths and monitoring conditions. Under narrow band excitation, the population (monopole), orientation (dipole), and alignment (quadrupole) of the excited state density matrix ρe can be prepared. For a sharply prepared angular momentum state under pulsed excitation, the population does not undergo radiationless decay and the resonance fluorescence intensity is a sum of three exponentials in general. For cw experiments, where lifetime limited linewidth or polarized fluorescence intensities are measured, the population can decay via an intramolecular relaxation channel providing the orientation component is initially prepared. Explicit J dependences of lifetimes are given for pulsed experiments. Under broad band excitation, quantum beats due to the coherence of ρe are derived from the Liouville equation. Most important of all, the population can decay under pulsed, broad-band excitation conditions. The scalar part of the nonadiabatic coupling becomes an additional contributor to the intramolecular relaxation process in this last case.
Density matrix formalism is used to study resonance fluorescence processes of isolated gaseous molecules. The Wangsness–Bloch–Fano theory is applied to the irreversible intramolecular relaxation process. In the present treatment, it is assumed that the rotational angular momentum J is a constant of motion in the zeroth order approximation. Thus intramolecular interactions can be classified as tensor operators with respect to J. The fluorescence decay patterns depend on excitation bandwidths and monitoring conditions. Under narrow band excitation, the population (monopole), orientation (dipole), and alignment (quadrupole) of the excited state density matrix ρe can be prepared. For a sharply prepared angular momentum state under pulsed excitation, the population does not undergo radiationless decay and the resonance fluorescence intensity is a sum of three exponentials in general. For cw experiments, where lifetime limited linewidth or polarized fluorescence intensities are measured, the population can decay via an intramolecular relaxation channel providing the orientation component is initially prepared. Explicit J dependences of lifetimes are given for pulsed experiments. Under broad band excitation, quantum beats due to the coherence of ρe are derived from the Liouville equation. Most important of all, the population can decay under pulsed, broad-band excitation conditions. The scalar part of the nonadiabatic coupling becomes an additional contributor to the intramolecular relaxation process in this last case.
In this paper we apply the T matrix formalism of scattering theory to derive general expressions for the absorption cross sections, the cross sections for resonance fluorescence and the emission quantum yields from large molecules in the statistical limit. In the simple case of an isolated molecular resonance both the absorption line shape and the photon scattering cross section exhibit a Lorentzian distribution on the photon energy, the emission quantum yields are distributed among the ground state vibronic levels according to their radiative widths and, most important, the emission quantum yields are independent of the photon energy and of the spectral width of the exciting light. We were able to derive general expressions for the resonance scattering from a pair of overlapping resonances, including radiative corrections to infinite order. The absorption cross section does not vanish in the region of destructive interference but assumes a finite value which depends on the radiative widths. A sharp maximum in the partial and in the total emission quantum yields is exhibited in the destructive interference regions. This general scheme was applied to a pair of zero order discrete states, one of which is optically active, which interact with an optically inactive quasicontinuum. The energy dependent quantum yield depends on the total width of the radiatively impotent state and may exhibit a minimum. We have demonstrated that when interference effects are involved the decay characteristics of this system will differ for coherent and for narrow band excitation. The general formalism was utilized to derive approximate relations for the resonance fluorescence cross sections and for the quantum yield in the case of a Fano absorption line shape which are valid away from the interference region. Finally, we have applied the general theoretical scheme to the case of the direct photodissociation spectrum of molecules. We have demonstrated that a finite energy dependent emission quantum yield will be observed when a molecule is optically pumped into a dissociative continuum.
We present a formalism to analyze the effects of collisions and intramolecular energy transfer and dephasing processes (T1 and T2 relaxation) on level-population dynamics and unimolecular decay of laser-driven gas molecules. Utilizing a Boltzmann or optical Bloch equation for the density matrix to describe laser excitation of a relaxing multilevel absorber, we develop a generalized master equation (GME) to describe the dynamics of level population evolution for multilevel absorbers having arbitrary numbers of quantum levels N. Because the resulting level-population equations explicitly retain phase memory, the effect of complete or partial phase-coherent driving or incoherent driving by the laser field are all included within the GME solutions. The formalism provides straightforward means to calculate time-dependent solutions for arbitrary N, where a single expression is valid on transient, post transient, approach to steady state, and steady-state time scales. We illustrate the behavior of these solutions for the special case of three- and eight-level systems, but the method is not restricted with regard to number of levels. In both this and the following paper, we use specific examples and general arguments to show that an ordinary master equation (OME) is invalid even under apparently favorable conditions including saturating field strengths. We demonstrate that, for an N-level absorber with given coupling elements, there are 2N [or 2(N+1)] independent saturation solutions and that special conditions on the relaxation times are required to produce the ordinary equal-population solution. Explicit forms for the steady-state radiative-transition matrix $W(\ensuremath{\lambda}=0)$ are derived for arbitrary N, and general arguments are given to show that the correct description of the dynamics given by the GME results from matrix singularities in $W(\ensuremath{\lambda}=0)$ which can never occur in an OME or similar rate equations.
The polarization of the resonance fluorescence of interacting atoms and the transfer of coherence, due to the exchange of excitation, are studied theoretically. The treatment is for the general case where both the excited and the ground states can have arbitrary angular momenta, except that they can be connected to each other by an allowed transition. Electrostatic dipole–dipole interaction and electromagnetic radiative interaction are considered simultaneously as the perturbations on the system. Heitler and Ma's generalized time-dependent perturbation method is used. The system is quantized with respect to the space-fixed z axis and a static magnetic field along the z axis may be present, so that the magnetic sublevels (m, m′, etc., for the excited state J, and α, β, etc., for the ground state J′) are not necessarily degenerate. The intensity of the scattered light of a given polarization, in a given direction, is expressed as a function of kR (where ℏck is the energy of excitation and R is the internuclear distance), and of the orientation of R with respect to z axis. The matrix elements (ℏ / 2)γmβ,αm′ and Vmβ,αm′, which cause resonant transfer of excitation between two atoms through radiative and electrostatic interaction, respectively, are also expressed as a function of kR, and of the orientation of R. For randomly oriented atoms, the polarization after being averaged over the random orientation of R becomes a function of kR. Numerical calculations have been carried out for S01 → 1P1 transition. The coherence is shown to be conserved upon resonant transfer of excitation when R is parallel to the quantization axis.
The dynamic quenching of dual fluorescence is simulated based on solving a system of equations for matrix elements of the statistical operator of a five-level model molecule three levels of which belong to its excited states. It is assumed that one of the excited states is resonantly populated by monochromatic irradiation, while the other two states are populated as a result of subsequent relaxation processes. These two states are initial states for transitions that emit dual fluorescence photons. Expressions for the population of the excited molecular states in the case of steady-state fluorescence are obtained taking into account their decay (quenching) due to collisions with foreign molecules of the environment. As applied to molecules with intramolecular hydrogen bonds, the dual fluorescence quenching is described more completely and in more detail compared to the description given in the literature based on the molecular model with two excited levels.
The problem of resonant interaction between an electromagnetic radiation field and a vibronic system, such as a molecule or a localized electronphonon system, is considered. The vibronic coupling is assumed to result from displaced and distorted potential energy surfaces for the vibrational motion in the electronic quantum states involved in the resonant interaction with the radiation field. Furthermore, the vibrational energy relaxation is taken into account without assumptions about Markovian-type relaxation. In order to study correlation properties of higher than second order in the electric field strength of the light emitted a method of calculation of the expectation value of an arbitrary product combination of effective time evolution operators of the vibronic system is developed. The calculations are performed by utilizing Feynman's disentangling and operator ordering techniques and yield closed solutions in the low-temperature limit. The theory is used for studying the intensity and the normally ordered intensity correlation function of the resonance fluorescence light from a two-atom molecule excited by a relatively weak laser field, which undergoes phase fluctuations. It is shown that the vibronic coupling can give rise to an anticorrelation effect which is substantially stronger than in the case of resonance fluorescence from an atom. For the case of small vibrational damping a general formula which directly connects the asymptotic long-time behaviour of the normalized intensity correlation function with the vibrational relaxation in the molecule is deduced. It should be convenient for the determination of very small vibrational decay rates.
Multiphoton excitation and dissociation of large molecules under collisionless conditions is discussed in terms of an intercontinuum random coupling model. The mathematical approach described in a previous paper is used to obtain the general solution for a system of consecutively coupled discrete states, quasicontinuous manifolds, and continuous (dissociative) manifolds of molecular levels (eigenstates of the total molecular Hamiltonian), where the radiative coupling matrix elements are assumed to be given as a linear combination of smoothly varying and randomly varying (over level indices in the molecular manifolds) components. In the range of discrete molecular levels the time evolution is coherent and described in terms of the optical Bloch equation. In the quasicontinuous and continuous ranges the time evolution may be described in terms of Markoffian kinetic equations for the number of photons absorbed by the molecule, provided that the intramolecular vibrational relaxation widths associated with the optically active molecular modes is much larger than the Rabi frequency associated with the excitation of these modes. The kinetic evolution itself consists of direct multiphoton excitation processes (simultaneous transitions from the upper discrete levels to all higher energy molecular manifolds) resulting from the smooth component in the radiative coupling, and a consecutive excitation process described by the Pauli master equation with rates given by the golden rule expression. The interaction which enters into the golden rule expression is the variance in the radiative coupling. The direct excitation component contributes a negligible part of the overall excitation even if the random and smooth radiative coupling components are comparable. The resulting incoherent time evolution of the multiphoton excitation process is consistent with available experimental results. Coherent effects in the time evolution are expected for higher radiation field intensities, where the Rabi frequency becomes comparable to the intramolecular vibrational relaxation rate.