We investigated nonlinear optical processes driven by superfluorescent (SF) fields and their controllability with external laser fields. Cesium atoms were excited from the $6S$ ground state to the $8P$ state by a femtosecond laser pulse. The cascaded SF decay, $8P\ensuremath{\rightarrow}8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7P$, created coherence between the $7P$ and ground states, and led to the emission of a 455-nm pulse. A nanosecond laser pulse was applied to switch the $8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7P$ transition to the $8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6P$ one and newly generate an 852-nm pulse. At the same time, the nanosecond pulse suppressed the 852-nm emission through the inhibition of the development of the SF field between the $8P$ and $8S$ states, which led to the saturation of the 852-nm power with the increase of the nanosecond pulse power. The presented results offer an approach to investigate cooperative radiation processes in many-body systems and to develop an alternate light source.We investigated nonlinear optical processes driven by superfluorescent (SF) fields and their controllability with external laser fields. Cesium atoms were excited from the $6S$ ground state to the $8P$ state by a femtosecond laser pulse. The cascaded SF decay, $8P\ensuremath{\rightarrow}8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7P$, created coherence between the $7P$ and ground states, and led to the emission of a 455-nm pulse. A nanosecond laser pulse was applied to switch the $8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7P$ transition to the $8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6P$ one and newly generate an 852-nm pulse. At the same time, the nanosecond pulse suppressed the 852-nm emission through the inhibition of the development of the SF field between the $8P$ and $8S$ states, which led to the saturation of the 852-nm power with the increase of the nanosecond pulse power. The presented results offer an approach to investigate cooperative radiation processes in many-body systems and to develop an alternate light source.

Physical Review ASep 11, 20205 citations

Theory of Superfluorescence

Fritz Haake

Springer series in optical sciences/SPringer series in optical sciencesJan 1, 19793 citations

Superfluorescent transitions between high-lying levels in an external electric field

T. Becker, R.-H. Rinkleff

The occurrence of superfluorescence in the near-infrared regime has been investigated between high-lying levels of Sr, Ba, and Na under the influence of a static homogeneous external electric field. The time inequalities for single-pulse superfluorescence were fulfilled. The measurements show for all the investigated superfluorescent transitions that the square root of the peak intensity of the superfluorescent pulse decreases with the square of the electric-field strength. If one takes into account the dependence of the number of excited atoms, the wavelengths, and the line strengths of the superfluorescent pulses on the electric-field strengths, the experimental findings cannot be explained by well-known theories of superfluorescence.The occurrence of superfluorescence in the near-infrared regime has been investigated between high-lying levels of Sr, Ba, and Na under the influence of a static homogeneous external electric field. The time inequalities for single-pulse superfluorescence were fulfilled. The measurements show for all the investigated superfluorescent transitions that the square root of the peak intensity of the superfluorescent pulse decreases with the square of the electric-field strength. If one takes into account the dependence of the number of excited atoms, the wavelengths, and the line strengths of the superfluorescent pulses on the electric-field strengths, the experimental findings cannot be explained by well-known theories of superfluorescence.

Physical Review AAug 1, 199112 citations

We investigated nonlinear optical processes driven by superfluorescent (SF) fields and their controllability with external laser fields. Cesium atoms were excited from the

6S

ground state to the

8P

state by a femtosecond laser pulse. The cascaded SF decay, $8P\ensuremath{\rightarrow}8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7P$, created coherence between the

7P

and ground states, and led to the emission of a 455-nm pulse. A nanosecond laser pulse was applied to switch the $8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}7P$ transition to the $8S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6P$ one and newly generate an 852-nm pulse. At the same time, the nanosecond pulse suppressed the 852-nm emission through the inhibition of the development of the SF field between the

8P

and

8S

states, which led to the saturation of the 852-nm power with the increase of the nanosecond pulse power. The presented results offer an approach to investigate cooperative radiation processes in many-body systems and to develop an alternate light source.