Physical Review A

Quantum theory of a micromaser operating on the atomic scattering from a resonant standing wave

Farhan Saif, Fam Le Kien, Muhammad Suhail Zubairy

Published Sep 18, 2001• 13 citations

Abstract

We study the amplification of a resonant standing-wave light field due to the interaction with a beam of monovelocity two-level atoms moving in the Raman-Nath regime and in the Bragg regime. The atomic density is low so that, at most, one atom is inside the cavity at a time. This system is very similar to the well-known micromaser but it is operating in the optical region of the field frequencies. Therefore, the situation corresponds to a microlaser. Unlike the micromaser system, the momentum transfer between the atoms and photons in the microlaser essentially effects the center-of-mass motion of the atoms and the evolution of the field.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.64.043812

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