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Physical Review A

Discrete velocities for solitary-wave solutions selected by self-induced transparency

Spiros V. Branis, Olivier Martin, Joseph L. Birman

Published Feb 1, 1991• 19 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Theoretical studies of self-induced transparency have used the slowly varying envelope approximation with perturbative corrections. These analyses indicated that for a carrier wave of given frequency, there was a continuum of possible steady-state pulse velocities. We show that the exact steady-state solutions of the full Maxwell-Bloch equations do not share this property; instead, there is a nonperturbative selection mechanism: a carrier wave of given frequency gives rise to steady-state pulses with discrete values of the velocity only. We present analytical and numerical calculations, and suggest some experiments for the semiconductor CdS.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.43.1549

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Self-induced transparency solitary waves in a doped nonlinear photonic band gap material

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We derive the properties of self-induced transparency (SIT) solitary waves in a one-dimensional periodic structure doped uniformly with resonance two-level atoms. In our model, the electromagnetic field is treated classically and the dopant atoms are described quantum mechanically. The resulting solitary waves take the form of ultrashort (picosecond) laser pulses which propagate near the band edge of the nonlinear photonic band gap (PBG) material doped with rare-earth atoms such as erbium. Solitary wave formation involves the combined effects of group velocity dispersion (GVD), nonresonant Kerr nonlinearity, and resonant interaction with dopant atoms. We derive the general Maxwell-Bloch equations for a nonlinear PBG system and then demonstrate the existence of elementary solitary wave solutions for frequencies far outside the gap where GVD effects are negligible and for frequencies near the photonic band edge where GVD effects are crucial. We find two distinct new types of propagating SIT solitary wave pulses. Far from Bragg resonance, we recapture the usual McCall-Hahn soliton with hyperbolic secant profile when the nonlinear Kerr coefficient ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}=0.$ However, when the host nonresonant Kerr coefficient is nonzero, we obtain the first new type of soliton. In this case, the optical soliton envelope function deviates from the hyperbolic secant profile and pulse propagation requires nontrivial phase modulation (chirping). We derive the dependence of the solitary wave structure on the Kerr coefficient ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)},$ the resonance impurity atom density, and the detuning of the average laser frequency from the atomic transition. When the laser frequency and the atomic transition frequencies are near the photonic band edge we obtain the second type of soliton. To illustrate the second type of soliton we consider two special cases. In the first case, GVD facilitates the propagation of an unchirped SIT-gap soliton moving at a velocity fixed by the material's parameters. The soliton structure changes dramatically as the laser frequency is tuned through the atomic resonance. In the second illustrative case we set the Kerr coefficient ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}=0.$ In this case, the solution is a chirped pulse which arises from the balance between GVD and the resonance interaction with the dopant atoms. Finally, we show that under certain circumstances, these solitary wave solutions may persist even in the presence of (subpicosecond) dipolar dephasing of the dopant atoms and absorption losses of the host PBG material, provided that the system is incoherently pumped. These results may be relevant to the application of PBG materials as optical devices in fiber-optic networks.

Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics•Sep 1, 1998•66 citations
Theoretical studies of self-induced transparency have used the slowly varying envelope approximation with perturbative corrections. These analyses indicated that for a carrier wave of given frequency, there was a continuum of possible steady-state pulse velocities. We show that the exact steady-state solutions of the full Maxwell-Bloch equations do not share this property; instead, there is a nonperturbative selection mechanism: a carrier wave of given frequency gives rise to steady-state pulses with discrete values of the velocity only. We present analytical and numerical calculations, and suggest some experiments for the semiconductor CdS.
A more accurate description of the 2 pi pulse of self-induced transparency is obtained. This is an exact solution of an approximate form of the Maxwell-Bloch equations in which only backscattering is neglected; the equations are valid at densities less than about 10 18 atoms cm -3 . At such densities the 2 pi sech pulse of McCall and Hahn (1967, 1969) remains a good approximate well into the picosecond range. The more accurate solution is chirped by a factor proportional to the square of the ratio of the spectral width of the pulse to its carrier wave frequency. The stability of this pulse solution and other N soliton solutions of the approximate Maxwell-Bloch equations is demonstrated.
We reveal the existence of an optical self-induced-transparency soliton family in a two-level absorbing system down to the few-cycle limit. Based on the few-cycle envelope approximation, we introduce a systematical method of reducing the Maxwell-Bloch equations beyond the slowly varying envelope approximation and characterize the parameter space to achieve slow and fast lights. Verified by direct numerical simulations with full vectorial Maxwell-Bloch equations, we also give the relationships for a number of optical cycles on area theory and pulse group velocity, which demonstrate possible coherent photon-matter interactions.
The gap 2\ensuremath{\pi} pulse or gap solitary wave of self-induced transparency at an inhomogeneously broadened line of a resonant Bragg periodical structure has been found theoretically as an exact solution of the coupled-mode Maxwell-Bloch equations. In the case of a slight violation of the Bragg condition at exact two-level resonance, the analytical solution for the gap 2\ensuremath{\pi} pulse with phase modulation has been obtained. Furthermore, the existence of an oscillating pulse that periodically changes in amplitude and in the sign of its velocity has been numerically shown.
We examine the dynamics of counterpropagating self-induced transparency solitons in three-level media. In a multilevel system, self-induced transparency gives rise to soliton solutions if the propagation is unidirectional, but the collision of counterpropagating pulses destroys the integrability of the underlying equations. We consider the collision of a rightward and a leftward moving self-induced transparency solitary wave by solving the full Maxwell-Bloch equations numerically using a finite-difference time-domain approach. Depending on pulse duration, amplitude and relative polarizations of the initial solitary waves we observe different regimes of interaction. For high group velocities and orthogonal polarizations, secondary solitary waves are born during the interaction, whereas the collision of solitary waves with the same polarization never produces secondary solitary waves but leaves behind a population grating in the interaction region. Because the crucial parameters can be controlled, an experimental confirmation of the predicted interaction regimes should be feasible.
We derive the properties of self-induced transparency (SIT) solitary waves in a one-dimensional periodic structure doped uniformly with resonance two-level atoms. In our model, the electromagnetic field is treated classically and the dopant atoms are described quantum mechanically. The resulting solitary waves take the form of ultrashort (picosecond) laser pulses which propagate near the band edge of the nonlinear photonic band gap (PBG) material doped with rare-earth atoms such as erbium. Solitary wave formation involves the combined effects of group velocity dispersion (GVD), nonresonant Kerr nonlinearity, and resonant interaction with dopant atoms. We derive the general Maxwell-Bloch equations for a nonlinear PBG system and then demonstrate the existence of elementary solitary wave solutions for frequencies far outside the gap where GVD effects are negligible and for frequencies near the photonic band edge where GVD effects are crucial. We find two distinct new types of propagating SIT solitary wave pulses. Far from Bragg resonance, we recapture the usual McCall-Hahn soliton with hyperbolic secant profile when the nonlinear Kerr coefficient ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}=0.$ However, when the host nonresonant Kerr coefficient is nonzero, we obtain the first new type of soliton. In this case, the optical soliton envelope function deviates from the hyperbolic secant profile and pulse propagation requires nontrivial phase modulation (chirping). We derive the dependence of the solitary wave structure on the Kerr coefficient ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)},$ the resonance impurity atom density, and the detuning of the average laser frequency from the atomic transition. When the laser frequency and the atomic transition frequencies are near the photonic band edge we obtain the second type of soliton. To illustrate the second type of soliton we consider two special cases. In the first case, GVD facilitates the propagation of an unchirped SIT-gap soliton moving at a velocity fixed by the material's parameters. The soliton structure changes dramatically as the laser frequency is tuned through the atomic resonance. In the second illustrative case we set the Kerr coefficient ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{(3)}=0.$ In this case, the solution is a chirped pulse which arises from the balance between GVD and the resonance interaction with the dopant atoms. Finally, we show that under certain circumstances, these solitary wave solutions may persist even in the presence of (subpicosecond) dipolar dephasing of the dopant atoms and absorption losses of the host PBG material, provided that the system is incoherently pumped. These results may be relevant to the application of PBG materials as optical devices in fiber-optic networks.