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Optica Acta International Journal of Optics

Photon Antibunching in Resonance Fluorescence in the Presence of Atomic Number Fluctuations

H. J. Carmichael, P. D. Drummond, Daniel F. Walls, Pierre Meystre

Published May 1, 1980• 34 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An analysis of photon correlation measurements for fluorescent light from a beam of two-level atoms is given where the number of pulse pairs n(τ) with time separation τ is recorded using a time-to-digital converter. These measurements are shown to correspond precisely to a subsequently normalized second-order correlation function (i.e. the normalization is performed after time averaging).

DOI
10.1080/713820289

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Journal of Physics A Mathematical and General•Dec 1, 1977•63 citations
An analysis of photon correlation measurements for fluorescent light from a beam of two-level atoms is given where the number of pulse pairs n(τ) with time separation τ is recorded using a time-to-digital converter. These measurements are shown to correspond precisely to a subsequently normalized second-order correlation function (i.e. the normalization is performed after time averaging).
The experimental conditions under which the intensity correlation function from a single atom undergoing resonance fluorescence may be observed are studied. As was pointed out by Jakeman et al. (1977), even under optimum conditions the number of fluctuations in the atomic beam prevent a direct observation of photon antibunching under the subsequent normalisation scheme used by Kimble et al. (1977). However, a direct observation of photon antibunching is possible in principle by adopting alternative normalisation schemes of the intensity correlation function.
Two-time correlations in the emissions of photons by a single atom of sodium in the presence of a coherent exciting field near resonance have been investigated. In the experiment sodium atoms in an atomic beam are excited by a perpendicular light beam from a tunable dye laser, and they are prepared by optical pumping to behave as two-level quantum systems. The fluorescent light is collected by a microscope objective in a direction that is approximately orthogonal to both beams and imaged on two photomultipliers. Photoelectric pulse correlations are measured in the presence of exciting fields of various strengths and for various detunings from the atomic resonance, and are found to exhibit significant nonclassical features. The results show clearly that the emitted photons exhibit antibunching, in good quantitative agreement with the predictions of quantum electrodynamics.