Quantum optics with gamma radiation

G. Neyens, Romain Coussement, J. Odeurs

J. Odeurs, Gilbert R. Hoy, Yuri V. Rostovtsev +1 more

Abstract Nuclear quantum optics deals with the resonant interaction of gamma‐radiation and nuclei, generally incorporated in a solid‐state material. Single gamma‐rays interact with an ensemble of nuclei. The properties of the resonantly forward‐scattered gamma‐radiation depend on the details of the interaction. An external modification of the nuclear energies will influence the interactions, and hence the properties of the radiation. Several techniques are proposed to reduce the resonant absorption of the gamma‐rays, creating a nuclear medium that is partially transparent: nuclear‐level‐mixing induced transparency, modification of nuclear levels by means of an optical laser, phase‐shift‐induced transparency. Interference is crucial in all this. The partial transparency could be exploited to study special effects such as slow gamma‐radiation and gain without population inversion. It could also be of importance for the realization of a gamma‐ray laser.

Michael Vollmer

É. K. Sadykov, Юричук Александр Александрович, Аринин Виталий Валерьевич

A method is proposed for calculating the resonance fluorescence spectrum of coherent gamma radiation with a finite linewidth under conditions when the sublevels of the ground nuclear state are coupled through a strong field. The spectrum line shape is substantially affected by both the coherent effects induced in the system by a strong field and the finite gamma-radiation width. The results obtained earlier and in this work give impetus to experimental investigations into the coherence of a quantum system and quantum interference of Mössbauer gamma transitions through the excitation of coherent magnetization dynamics or an optical subsystem in solids.

S. Chua

Sh. Sh. Bashkirov, V. Yu. Lyubimov, E. A. Popov

A new approach to observing the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency in gamma optics is proposed. The propagation of a resonant photon in a 57 Fe magnetic medium in an applied rf field is considered for this purpose. It is shown that, under crossing-anticrossing conditions, a resonant rf field substantially changes the gamma-optical properties of the medium, which become dependent on the parameters of the field. This opens the possibility for exercising a coherent control of the photon group velocity and a controllable filtration of unpolarized gamma radiation in a sample.