Cold three-level atom micromaser in the far-detuning regime

Abstract

We analyze the quantum theory of the two-mode micromaser pumped by cold three-level atoms with a $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-configuration under the two-photon resonance condition. We focus more specifically on the large detuning limit where the detuning between the two cavity mode frequencies and the two atomic transition frequencies is large in comparison with the atom-cavity coupling constants. We show that this regime can mimic a virtual two-level atom micromaser without spontaneous emission where the cavity acts for the atoms as a potential barrier or a potential well (depending on the sign of the detuning) and a zero potential but no more both as a potential barrier and a potential well as it is the case for the usual cold two-level atom micromaser [M. O. Scully, G. M. Meyer, and H. Walther, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 4144 (1996)]. This introduces interesting options for engineering the interaction between the cold atoms and the cavity. The elimination of the spontaneous emission solves a major issue of the conventional cold two-level atom micromaser as the transit time of cold atoms inside and in the vicinity of the cavity is usually much larger than the atomic level lifetimes. It is also shown that the cold atom regime is very sensitive to the sign of the detuning (in contrast to the hot atom regime) and that, according to this sign, the cavity may speed up or slow down the incident three-level atoms after their interaction with the field.