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Physical Review A

Continuum-continuum population trapping

Ronald S. Burkey, C. A. Glosson, Cyrus D. Cantrell

Published Mar 1, 1989• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We consider the problem of coherent population trapping in a model quantum system consisting of two (and briefly three) coupled continua of energy levels. While an earlier study [Z. Deng and J. H. Eberly, Phys. Rev. A 34, 2492 (1986)] has demonstrated population trapping in a closely related system, it has done so only for the case of a broad featureless continuum. We will demonstrate, on the other hand, that the time evolution of the continuum is qualitatively very different when different types of continua are allowed, and that population trapping is not likely to occur except in the broad featureless continuum. We do show, however, that in some cases other counterintuitive results surface.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.39.2978

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We consider the problem of coherent population trapping in a model quantum system consisting of two (and briefly three) coupled continua of energy levels. While an earlier study [Z. Deng and J. H. Eberly, Phys. Rev. A 34, 2492 (1986)] has demonstrated population trapping in a closely related system, it has done so only for the case of a broad featureless continuum. We will demonstrate, on the other hand, that the time evolution of the continuum is qualitatively very different when different types of continua are allowed, and that population trapping is not likely to occur except in the broad featureless continuum. We do show, however, that in some cases other counterintuitive results surface.
The authors show that the population trapping phenomenon found by Deng and Eberly (1986, 1988) for free-free transitions between structureless continua occurs under much more general conditions. They solve the time-dependent models exactly and show for asymptotically long times that population trapping can occur for two continua with energy-dependent matrix elements, and for an infinite number of structureless continua with coupled bands. Furthermore, they show that the trapping persists for two continua coupled by a noisy laser. The amount of trapping depends on the initial conditions.
A calculation is presented of population trapping by an infinite sequence of bound states and continua, with results that differ from both the pure exponential decay exhibited by a single bound state, and from the combination of exponential decay and no decay that is obtained when there are two bound states coupled to a single continuum. Instead of either of these, the theory predicts a rule for the decay that becomes, for time t large (but not so large that events are unobservable), an inverse power law in t 1 2/. Possible experimental realizations of this problem are discussed, which also indicate that the Floquet form of the wavefunction does not apply.
An exactly soluble model is used to describe transitions, induced by two strong laser beams, proceeding from the initial discrete state to the continuum via two channels. In the first channel the transition occurs via an intermediate, near-resonant discrete state located close to the continuum edge. In the second channel the intermediate state belongs to the continuum. Population trapping occurs due to an interference between the two channels. The model can be used to describe the photodetachment of electrons from negative ions or the photodissociation of molecules.
Studies the coupling of N discrete levels to a common continuum. The discrete levels, which can include both genuine bound states and autoionisation states, are assumed to be coupled to the continuum and to each other in such a way as to permit a rotating wave approximation in the Schrodinger equation. A general solution for the model is derived with the aid of Laplace transforms and the Weisskopf-Wigner approximation. The author discusses general properties of the discrete level populations and the electron spectrum like population trapping, zeros, crossings, resonances and confluences. As examples the author treats cases where two or three discrete levels interact with a continuum.