IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
Theory of two-photon Lamb dips
Fujio Shimizu
Abstract
A semiclassical theory of two-photon Lamb dips is presented, when one of the radiations is in the radio-frequency region and the other is in the optical region. Perturbation solutions as well as an exact recurrence formula are discussed. For the latter case numerical results are given. The resonance line shape of the two-photon Lamb dip shows a variety of changes according to the experimental conditions. When both the optical and the rf fields are weak a line is of a dispersion form. When the rf field is increased, the line changes to a Lorentzian form. When the optical field is increased, the line is shifted and broadened. If the radio frequency is close to or less than the Doppler width of the gas, a two-photon Lamb dip is accompanied with satellite dips which correspond to molecules with nonzero velocity components along the propagation of the laser radiation. The intensity of a two-photon Lamb dip is expected to decrease rapidly with increasing radio frequency. Additional effects when the sample cell is placed inside the laser cavity are also discussed. Those results agree qualitatively with recent observations by Fruend, R\omheld, and Oka.