Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Theory of the Rydberg-atom one-photon micromaser

N. Nayak, D. Das

Published Sep 1, 1993• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The paper deals with the micromaser theory in which the cavity-reservoir coupling is considered during the atom-field interaction. The evolution of the cavity radiation when it contains no atom is included as usual. This brings out the dependence of the photon statistics on the cavity leakage. The possibilities of generating a Fock state of the radiation field are analyzed.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.48.2475

Related papers

Maser and Laser Action with One Atom

N. Nayak

We present a theory which can explain the micromaser as well as its optical counterpart, the microlaser, for appropriate values of dissipative parameters. We show that, in both the the cases, the cavity radiation fields can have sub-Poissonian photon statistics. We further analyse if it is possible to attain a Fock state of the radiation field. The microlaser is precluded for such analysics due to the damping of its lasing levels making transitions at optical frequencies. Hence, we focus our attention on the micromaser and our exact simulation of the dynamics shows that it is not possible to generate a Fock state of the cavity radiation field.

arXiv:quant-ph/0307226•Jul 30, 2003•0 citations

Theory of the micromaser

Marlan O. Scully, Muhammad Suhail Zubairy

The development of a single-atom maser or a micromaser allows a detailed study of the atom–field interaction. The situation realized is very close to the ideal case of a single two-level atom interacting with a single-mode quantized field as treated in Section 6.2. In a micromaser a stream of two-level atoms is injected into a superconducting cavity with a high quality factor. The injection rate can be such that only one atom is present inside the resonator at any time. Due to the high quality factor of the cavity, the radiation decay time is much larger than the characteristic time of the atom–field interaction, which is given by the inverse of the single-photon Rabi frequency. Therefore, a field is built up inside the cavity when the mean time between the atoms injected into the cavity is shorter than the cavity decay time. A micromaser, therefore, allows sustained oscillations with less than one atom on the average in the cavity. The realization of a single-atom maser or a micromaser has been made possible due to the enormous progress in the construction of superconducting cavities together with the laser preparation of highly excited atoms called Rydberg atoms. The quality factor of the superconducting cavities is high enough for periodic energy exchanges between atom and cavity field to be observed. The interesting properties of the Rydberg atoms make them ideal for micromasers. In Rydberg atoms the probability of induced transitions between adjacent states becomes very large and scales as n 4 , where n denotes the principle quantum number.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Sep 4, 1997•1 citation

Detection of Rydberg-atom micromasers

L. Z. Wang

The lifetimes of Rydberg atoms have been considered in micromaser theory. The difference from the usual micromaser theory [P. Filipowicz, J. Javanainen, and P. Meystre, Phys. Rev. A 34, 3077 (1986)] without level decay rates is discussed. It is shown that when the atom-field interaction time is large, the quantum collapse and revival are significantly different from the prediction of the usual micromaser theory. The relation between the photon fluctuation and the fluctuation of the population of the lower level after interacting with a maser field is also discussed. We found that the consistency of the sub-Poisson statistics of the lower-level population and photon number is violated.

Physical Review A•Jan 1, 1992•5 citations

QUANTUM STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF RADIATION

Shahid Qamar

We present a study on the quantum statistical properties of radiation in a one-photon micromaser. In particular, the possibility of generating steady-state squeezing is investigated. The spectral properties of the radiation field in a micromaser are also studied. \n \nWe show that the steady-state squeezing can be generated in a lossless micromaser by injecting the atoms in a coherent superposition of upper and lower states. It is shown by considering initial vacuum number and thermal state of the cavity field, that for a particular choice of the interaction time field evolves to a squeezed state. Steady- state squeezing is found to be independent of the initial state of the cavity field. However, the temporal evolution of the squeezing depends on the initial state of the field. Effects of cavity losses and pump fluctuations on steady-state squeezing are also investigated. \n \nFinally, an exact analytic expression for the linewidth of a micromaser in the absence of cavity losses is obtained by evaluating the two-time correlation function. A comparison with the natural linewidth of laser shows that under certain conditions gain contribution to the linewidth is same in both the cases. We also, derive an exact expression for the phoston distribution function and show that for a particular choice of the interaction time, the number state of the field can be generated.

•Jan 1, 1993•0 citations

Trapping States in the Micromaser

M. Weidinger, Benjamin T. H. Varcoe, R. Heerlein +1 more

Trapping states in the one-atom maser or micromaser are predicted by maser theory and are a direct consequence of the quantization of the electromagnetic field. They have been found in our experiment when the inversion of atoms leaving the cavity is observed while the interaction time is scanned. They correspond to quantum states of the atom-cavity system and under certain conditions represent Fock states. The trapping states occur when the atom-field dynamics complete a full evolution (or multiples thereof). Owing to feedback through the maser dynamics, a stabilization of the photon number in the steady state field of the maser cavity is achieved.

Physical Review Letters•May 10, 1999•251 citations

Effect of atomic decay on micromasers

Shi-Yao Zhu, L. Z. Wang, H. Fearn

The decay of the active atoms in micromasers is theoretically analyzed. The equations of motion for the diagonal elements of the micromaser field, which include an atomic-decay effect, have been obtained. The relation between the photon statistics and the micromaser field on the atomic decay has been studied. The effect of atomic-decay rates and average photon numbers, photon-number variances, and the photon-number distribution has been discussed. It has been shown that generation of approximate trapping states or number states requires very small atomic-decay rates and very large field-atom coupling constants.

Physical Review A•Jul 1, 1991•18 citations
The paper deals with the micromaser theory in which the cavity-reservoir coupling is considered during the atom-field interaction. The evolution of the cavity radiation when it contains no atom is included as usual. This brings out the dependence of the photon statistics on the cavity leakage. The possibilities of generating a Fock state of the radiation field are analyzed.
We present a theory which can explain the micromaser as well as its optical counterpart, the microlaser, for appropriate values of dissipative parameters. We show that, in both the the cases, the cavity radiation fields can have sub-Poissonian photon statistics. We further analyse if it is possible to attain a Fock state of the radiation field. The microlaser is precluded for such analysics due to the damping of its lasing levels making transitions at optical frequencies. Hence, we focus our attention on the micromaser and our exact simulation of the dynamics shows that it is not possible to generate a Fock state of the cavity radiation field.
The development of a single-atom maser or a micromaser allows a detailed study of the atom–field interaction. The situation realized is very close to the ideal case of a single two-level atom interacting with a single-mode quantized field as treated in Section 6.2. In a micromaser a stream of two-level atoms is injected into a superconducting cavity with a high quality factor. The injection rate can be such that only one atom is present inside the resonator at any time. Due to the high quality factor of the cavity, the radiation decay time is much larger than the characteristic time of the atom–field interaction, which is given by the inverse of the single-photon Rabi frequency. Therefore, a field is built up inside the cavity when the mean time between the atoms injected into the cavity is shorter than the cavity decay time. A micromaser, therefore, allows sustained oscillations with less than one atom on the average in the cavity. The realization of a single-atom maser or a micromaser has been made possible due to the enormous progress in the construction of superconducting cavities together with the laser preparation of highly excited atoms called Rydberg atoms. The quality factor of the superconducting cavities is high enough for periodic energy exchanges between atom and cavity field to be observed. The interesting properties of the Rydberg atoms make them ideal for micromasers. In Rydberg atoms the probability of induced transitions between adjacent states becomes very large and scales as n 4 , where n denotes the principle quantum number.
The lifetimes of Rydberg atoms have been considered in micromaser theory. The difference from the usual micromaser theory [P. Filipowicz, J. Javanainen, and P. Meystre, Phys. Rev. A 34, 3077 (1986)] without level decay rates is discussed. It is shown that when the atom-field interaction time is large, the quantum collapse and revival are significantly different from the prediction of the usual micromaser theory. The relation between the photon fluctuation and the fluctuation of the population of the lower level after interacting with a maser field is also discussed. We found that the consistency of the sub-Poisson statistics of the lower-level population and photon number is violated.
We present a study on the quantum statistical properties of radiation in a one-photon micromaser. In particular, the possibility of generating steady-state squeezing is investigated. The spectral properties of the radiation field in a micromaser are also studied. \n \nWe show that the steady-state squeezing can be generated in a lossless micromaser by injecting the atoms in a coherent superposition of upper and lower states. It is shown by considering initial vacuum number and thermal state of the cavity field, that for a particular choice of the interaction time field evolves to a squeezed state. Steady- state squeezing is found to be independent of the initial state of the cavity field. However, the temporal evolution of the squeezing depends on the initial state of the field. Effects of cavity losses and pump fluctuations on steady-state squeezing are also investigated. \n \nFinally, an exact analytic expression for the linewidth of a micromaser in the absence of cavity losses is obtained by evaluating the two-time correlation function. A comparison with the natural linewidth of laser shows that under certain conditions gain contribution to the linewidth is same in both the cases. We also, derive an exact expression for the phoston distribution function and show that for a particular choice of the interaction time, the number state of the field can be generated.
Trapping states in the one-atom maser or micromaser are predicted by maser theory and are a direct consequence of the quantization of the electromagnetic field. They have been found in our experiment when the inversion of atoms leaving the cavity is observed while the interaction time is scanned. They correspond to quantum states of the atom-cavity system and under certain conditions represent Fock states. The trapping states occur when the atom-field dynamics complete a full evolution (or multiples thereof). Owing to feedback through the maser dynamics, a stabilization of the photon number in the steady state field of the maser cavity is achieved.
The decay of the active atoms in micromasers is theoretically analyzed. The equations of motion for the diagonal elements of the micromaser field, which include an atomic-decay effect, have been obtained. The relation between the photon statistics and the micromaser field on the atomic decay has been studied. The effect of atomic-decay rates and average photon numbers, photon-number variances, and the photon-number distribution has been discussed. It has been shown that generation of approximate trapping states or number states requires very small atomic-decay rates and very large field-atom coupling constants.