Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Polarizability and the optical theorem for a two-level atom with radiative broadening

P. R. Berman, Robert W. Boyd, Peter W. Milonni

Published Nov 21, 2006• 34 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The effect of spontaneous decay on the linear polarizability of an atom is typically included by adding imaginary parts to the frequency denominators that appear in the Kramers-Heisenberg formula. It has been shown for a two-level atom with radiative broadening that these (frequency-dependent) imaginary parts must be included in both the resonant and antiresonant frequency denominators [P. W. Milonni and R. W. Boyd, Phys. Rev. A 69, 023814 (2004)]; however, the expression obtained by Milonni and Boyd for the polarizability does not satisfy the optical theorem, if contributions from non-rotating-wave terms are included. In this paper, we derive a more accurate expression for the polarizability. The calculations are rather complicated and require that we go beyond the standard Weisskopf-Wigner approximation. We present calculations carried out in both the Heisenberg and Schr\"odinger pictures, since they offer complementary methods for understanding the dynamics of the Rayleigh scattering associated with the atomic polarizability. Moreover, it is shown that the shifts associated with the excited state are not the Lamb shifts of an isolated atom, but depend on the dynamics of the atom-field interaction. Our results for the polarizability are consistent with those obtained recently by Loudon and Barnett using a Green's-function approach.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.74.053816

Related papers

Theory of the linear polarizability of a two-level atom

R. Loudon, Stephen Mark Barnett

The polarizability of a two-level atom in the presence of radiative damping alone is derived by a Green function calculation. The rotating-wave approximation is not made, either in the interaction of the atom with the incident light or in its interaction with the scattered optical field. In contrast to previous work, the derivation takes account of the modification of the system ground state brought about by the non-rotating-wave part of the latter interaction. The final expression satisfies the optical theorem in addition to the other general requirements on the polarizability.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Jul 24, 2006•35 citations

Effect of the counterrotating terms on polarizability in atom-field interactions

Dawei Wang, Aijun Li, Li‐Gang Wang +2 more

The effect of the counterrotating terms on the linear polarizability is investigated, which is responsible for the validity of the optical theorem in all frequency regions. A unitary transformation method [H. Zheng, S. -Y. Zhu, and M.S. Zubairy, Rev. Lett. 101, 200404 (2008)] is adopted to overcome the difficulty brought in by the counterrotating terms, which yields a rotating-wave-approximation-like Hamiltonian with modified coupling constant due to the counterrotating terms. A simple expression for the polarizability is obtained, which is a sum of resonant (minus sign) and antiresonant (plus sign) parts, and from which the role of the counterrotating terms and quantum interference between the counterrotating terms and rotating terms at far off-resonance are discussed.

Physical Review A•Dec 9, 2009•20 citations

Analysis of single-excitation states in quantum optics

Jeremy G. Hoskins, Jason Kaye, Manas Rachh +1 more

In this paper we analyze the dynamics of single-excitation states, which model the scattering of a single photon from multiple two level atoms. For short times and weak atom-field couplings we show that the atomic amplitudes are given by a sum of decaying exponentials, where the decay rates and Lamb shifts are given by the poles of a certain analytic function. This result is a refinement of the "pole approximation" appearing in the standard Wigner-Weisskopf analysis of spontaneous emission. On the other hand, at large times, the atomic field decays like $O(1/t^3)$ with a known constant expressed in terms of the coupling parameter and the resonant frequency of the atoms. Moreover, we show that for stronger coupling, the solutions also feature a collection of oscillatory exponentials which dominate the behavior at long times. Finally, we extend the analysis to the continuum limit in which atoms are distributed according to a given density.

arXiv:2110.07049•Oct 13, 2021•0 citations

Linear polarizabilities of two- and three-level atoms

Peter W. Milonni, R. Loudon, P. R. Berman +1 more

Different expressions for the linear polarizability of a two-level atom with radiative corrections have been derived recently. We show that an expression said to differ from that obtained by the present authors is in fact consistent with it. The same-sign and opposite-sign prescriptions for linewidths are revisited with respect to the polarizability, the scattering amplitude, and the optical theorem. Both prescriptions represent approximations to more general expressions in the two-level case, and neither is correct for transitions between excited atomic states, as we demonstrate by calculating the linear polarizability of a three-level atom.

Physical Review A•Apr 29, 2008•34 citations

Multiple-time-scale perturbation theory: Radiative decay of coupled atomic states

G. L. Brooks, Leonard M. Scarfone

The spontaneous radiative decay to the ground state of an atomic system initially in the higher of two excited states, coupled in a radiationless fashion by an external field, is investigated by the method of multiple-time-scale perturbation theory. The coupled differential equations of motion for the probability amplitudes are solved to second order, while the usual secular behavior of conventional time-dependent perturbation theory is eliminated in terms of two natural time scales: a fast time scale corresponding to the reciprocal of the level transition frequency and a slower time scale associated with the inverse of the radiation linewidth. Expressions are obtained to this order for the energy shifts and decay characteristics of the excited states and the energy distribution of the final-state photons, quantities previously determined by Fourier analysis and contour integration and by the phenomenological approach of Weisskopf and Wigner. A detailed comparison of these various methods of solution includes conditions under which the present results agree to second order with the previous calculations.

Physical Review A•Dec 1, 1982•4 citations

Time-ordering in Heisenberg’s equation of motion as related to spontaneous radiation

Benjamin D. Strycker

Despite many years of research into Raman phenomena, the problem of how to include both spontaneous and stimulated Raman scattering into a unified set of partial differential equations persists. The issue is solved by formulating the quantum dynamics in the Heisenberg picture with a rigorous accounting for both time- and normal-ordering of the operators. It is shown how this can be done in a simple, straightforward way. Firstly, the technique is applied to a two-level Raman system, and comparison of analytical and numerical results verifies the approach. A connection to a fully time-dependent Langevin operator method is made for the spontaneous initiation of stimulated Raman scattering. Secondly, the technique is demonstrated for the much-studied two-level atom both in vacuum and in a lossy dielectric medium. It is shown to be fully consistent with accepted theories: using the rotating wave approximation, the Einstein A coefficient for the rate of spontaneous emission from a two-level atom can be derived in a manner parallel to the Weisskopf-Wigner approximation. The Lamb frequency shift is also calculated. It is shown throughout that field operators corresponding to spontaneous radiative terms do not commute with atomic/molecular operators. The approach may prove useful in many areas, including modeling the propagation of next-generation high-energy, high-intensity ultrafast laser pulses as well as spontaneous radiative processes in lossy media.

Scientific Reports•Nov 12, 2021•1 citation
The effect of spontaneous decay on the linear polarizability of an atom is typically included by adding imaginary parts to the frequency denominators that appear in the Kramers-Heisenberg formula. It has been shown for a two-level atom with radiative broadening that these (frequency-dependent) imaginary parts must be included in both the resonant and antiresonant frequency denominators [P. W. Milonni and R. W. Boyd, Phys. Rev. A 69, 023814 (2004)]; however, the expression obtained by Milonni and Boyd for the polarizability does not satisfy the optical theorem, if contributions from non-rotating-wave terms are included. In this paper, we derive a more accurate expression for the polarizability. The calculations are rather complicated and require that we go beyond the standard Weisskopf-Wigner approximation. We present calculations carried out in both the Heisenberg and Schr"odinger pictures, since they offer complementary methods for understanding the dynamics of the Rayleigh scattering associated with the atomic polarizability. Moreover, it is shown that the shifts associated with the excited state are not the Lamb shifts of an isolated atom, but depend on the dynamics of the atom-field interaction. Our results for the polarizability are consistent with those obtained recently by Loudon and Barnett using a Green's-function approach.
The polarizability of a two-level atom in the presence of radiative damping alone is derived by a Green function calculation. The rotating-wave approximation is not made, either in the interaction of the atom with the incident light or in its interaction with the scattered optical field. In contrast to previous work, the derivation takes account of the modification of the system ground state brought about by the non-rotating-wave part of the latter interaction. The final expression satisfies the optical theorem in addition to the other general requirements on the polarizability.
The effect of the counterrotating terms on the linear polarizability is investigated, which is responsible for the validity of the optical theorem in all frequency regions. A unitary transformation method [H. Zheng, S. -Y. Zhu, and M.S. Zubairy, Rev. Lett. 101, 200404 (2008)] is adopted to overcome the difficulty brought in by the counterrotating terms, which yields a rotating-wave-approximation-like Hamiltonian with modified coupling constant due to the counterrotating terms. A simple expression for the polarizability is obtained, which is a sum of resonant (minus sign) and antiresonant (plus sign) parts, and from which the role of the counterrotating terms and quantum interference between the counterrotating terms and rotating terms at far off-resonance are discussed.
In this paper we analyze the dynamics of single-excitation states, which model the scattering of a single photon from multiple two level atoms. For short times and weak atom-field couplings we show that the atomic amplitudes are given by a sum of decaying exponentials, where the decay rates and Lamb shifts are given by the poles of a certain analytic function. This result is a refinement of the "pole approximation" appearing in the standard Wigner-Weisskopf analysis of spontaneous emission. On the other hand, at large times, the atomic field decays like O(1/t3)O(1/t^3)O(1/t3) with a known constant expressed in terms of the coupling parameter and the resonant frequency of the atoms. Moreover, we show that for stronger coupling, the solutions also feature a collection of oscillatory exponentials which dominate the behavior at long times. Finally, we extend the analysis to the continuum limit in which atoms are distributed according to a given density.
Different expressions for the linear polarizability of a two-level atom with radiative corrections have been derived recently. We show that an expression said to differ from that obtained by the present authors is in fact consistent with it. The same-sign and opposite-sign prescriptions for linewidths are revisited with respect to the polarizability, the scattering amplitude, and the optical theorem. Both prescriptions represent approximations to more general expressions in the two-level case, and neither is correct for transitions between excited atomic states, as we demonstrate by calculating the linear polarizability of a three-level atom.
The spontaneous radiative decay to the ground state of an atomic system initially in the higher of two excited states, coupled in a radiationless fashion by an external field, is investigated by the method of multiple-time-scale perturbation theory. The coupled differential equations of motion for the probability amplitudes are solved to second order, while the usual secular behavior of conventional time-dependent perturbation theory is eliminated in terms of two natural time scales: a fast time scale corresponding to the reciprocal of the level transition frequency and a slower time scale associated with the inverse of the radiation linewidth. Expressions are obtained to this order for the energy shifts and decay characteristics of the excited states and the energy distribution of the final-state photons, quantities previously determined by Fourier analysis and contour integration and by the phenomenological approach of Weisskopf and Wigner. A detailed comparison of these various methods of solution includes conditions under which the present results agree to second order with the previous calculations.
Despite many years of research into Raman phenomena, the problem of how to include both spontaneous and stimulated Raman scattering into a unified set of partial differential equations persists. The issue is solved by formulating the quantum dynamics in the Heisenberg picture with a rigorous accounting for both time- and normal-ordering of the operators. It is shown how this can be done in a simple, straightforward way. Firstly, the technique is applied to a two-level Raman system, and comparison of analytical and numerical results verifies the approach. A connection to a fully time-dependent Langevin operator method is made for the spontaneous initiation of stimulated Raman scattering. Secondly, the technique is demonstrated for the much-studied two-level atom both in vacuum and in a lossy dielectric medium. It is shown to be fully consistent with accepted theories: using the rotating wave approximation, the Einstein A coefficient for the rate of spontaneous emission from a two-level atom can be derived in a manner parallel to the Weisskopf-Wigner approximation. The Lamb frequency shift is also calculated. It is shown throughout that field operators corresponding to spontaneous radiative terms do not commute with atomic/molecular operators. The approach may prove useful in many areas, including modeling the propagation of next-generation high-energy, high-intensity ultrafast laser pulses as well as spontaneous radiative processes in lossy media.