Analytical formulas of optimal detunings for efficient and selective excitation of a three-level atomic system derived by Choe et al. [Phys. Rev. A 52, 382 (1995)] predict the values of optimal detunings substantially different from the values mentioned in their paper.
A principle for the efficient excitation of a three-level medium in a selective photoionization method is examined. It is shown that with special detunings for a given set of the laser-atom interaction the third-level population can be maximized. The expression of the optimal detunings is derived near the two-photon resonance region. It is shown that if the optimal detuning method is applied to three-level systems of Yb and Ca, the first-level populations are inverted to their corresponding third levels by about 100% and 86%, respectively. Application of this method to a Doppler-broadened medium is discussed and it is found that the optimal detuning method with counterpropagating waves will be very effective for selective ionization of wanted atoms.
The population inversion in a three-level atomic system, interacting with two coherent laser pulses, occurs from the first level to the third level at the optimal detunings of the laser frequencies near the two-photon resonance. An examination is performed to see whether the energy density and time-delay of the photoionizing laser can significantly influence the ion yield for the case where the atom interacts with two coherent pulses and one photoionizing pulse incoherently coupled. The well-known three-colour, three-step, three-photon ionization scheme, which is available for the selective photoionization of 168Yb, is chosen for use in this research with the Bloch equation. It is revealed that the proper time-delay and energy density enable us to achieve higher efficiency for the selective photoionization of 168Yb, regardless of the Doppler-broadening, though the efficiency and selectivity of coherent excitation are prominently enhanced by applying the optimal detunings.
Population transfer in three-level atomic systems with high efficiency and selectivity is desirable for practical applications in laser spectroscopy, trace analysis, and isotope separation. The effective excitation method for achieving this population transfer in three-level atomic systems using coherent two-photon excitation with two optimally detuned counterpropagating pulsed lasers, initially investigated analytically assuming monochromatic lasers and Doppler-free systems, is studied numerically by solving the density matrix equations incorporating finite laser linewidth and effective Doppler width. A three-level Yb system is chosen for illustration of numerical results. The effects of laser linewidth and effective Doppler width on the values of optimal detunings and maximum third-level population are discussed.