Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

The theory of the optical Autler-Townes effect in sodium

W A McClean, S. Swain

Published Apr 1, 1977• 13 citations

Abstract

Feneuille and Schweighofer (1975) have used a three-level model to discuss the observation of the Autler-Townes effect in a two-step resonance experiment. A numerical investigation is presented in which the effect of the neighbouring non-resonant hyperfine levels is taken into account. Firstly all the levels are treated as non-degenerate, and then degeneracy is allowed for. It is found that both the inclusion of the neighbouring states and allowance for their degeneracy cause a large change in the expected upper-state population, especially at high light intensities. It is concluded that the resonant three-level model is a poor model in this situation.

DOI: 10.1088/0022-3700/10/5/005

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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular PhysicsMay 14, 19871 citation

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

The theory of the optical Autler-Townes effect in sodium

W A McClean, S. Swain

Published Apr 1, 1977• 13 citations

Publisher

Abstract

DOI: 10.1088/0022-3700/10/5/005

Related papers

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The Autler-Townes effect in an optical pumping experiment

Helmut Bechtel, D. Fick

Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular PhysicsMay 14, 19871 citation

3{p}_{3/2}

and

4{d}_{5/2}

states by the strong laser field and probed by a weak laser field on the $3{s}_{1/2}\ensuremath{-}3{p}_{3/2}$ transition yielded two important conclusions. Firstly, the perturbation introduced by the HF interaction leads to the observation of what we term ``chameleon'' states---states that change their appearance in the AT spectrum, behaving as bright states at small to moderate ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{S}$, and fading from the spectrum similarly to dark states when ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{S}$ is much larger than the HF splitting of the

3{p}_{3/2}

state. Secondly, excitation by the probe field from two different HF levels of the ground state allows one to address orthogonal sets of adiabatic states; this enables, with appropriate choice of ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}_{S}$ and the involved quantum states, a selective excitation of otherwise unresolved hyperfine levels in excited electronic states.