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European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC)

Phase-dependent dynamics in an atomic diamond configuration

Sonja Franke‐Arnold, Gian‐Luca Oppo, Giovanna Morigi

Published Jan 1, 2003• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This study investigates the phase-dependent behaviour of the four-level closed-loop atomic diamond configuration. A ground state is quasi-resonantly coupled to two intermediate states which are themselves coupled to an excited state. Transitions between any two states occur via two alternative paths. The interference between these transition amplitudes can be constructive or destructive, depending on the relative phase between the excitation amplitudes. As a consequence also the population as well as the one- and two-photon coherences are periodic functions of the relative phase. This phase in general comprises the wavevector mismatch, the two-photon detuning, the initial laser phases and the individual atomic-dipole phases. In this paper, the authors concentrate on the steady state solutions for the case of two-photon resonance. The behaviour of the system is determined by the concurrence of the phase-dependent Hamiltonian dynamics and the relaxation processes.

DOI
10.1109/eqec.2003.1313911

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This study investigates the phase-dependent behaviour of the four-level closed-loop atomic diamond configuration. A ground state is quasi-resonantly coupled to two intermediate states which are themselves coupled to an excited state. Transitions between any two states occur via two alternative paths. The interference between these transition amplitudes can be constructive or destructive, depending on the relative phase between the excitation amplitudes. As a consequence also the population as well as the one- and two-photon coherences are periodic functions of the relative phase. This phase in general comprises the wavevector mismatch, the two-photon detuning, the initial laser phases and the individual atomic-dipole phases. In this paper, the authors concentrate on the steady state solutions for the case of two-photon resonance. The behaviour of the system is determined by the concurrence of the phase-dependent Hamiltonian dynamics and the relaxation processes.
We investigate coherent control of the two-photon transition pathways of a four-level atomic system in a diamond configuration. When an ultrashort laser pulse interacts with this system in the ground state 5S1/25{S}_{1/2}5S1/2​ of rubidium, the two-photon transition probability amplitude of 5D3/25{D}_{3/2}5D3/2​ is obtained by a summation of all possible resonant and nonresonant two-photon transition probability amplitudes via 5P1/25{P}_{1/2}5P1/2​ and 5P3/25{P}_{3/2}5P3/2​. Second-order perturbation theory predicts that the maximal constructive interference of the transition probability amplitudes occurs when the phases of eight different spectrum blocks satisfy four different phase relations. Experiments carried out with spectrally phase-coded laser pulses show good agreement with the theoretical prediction.
Atomic coherence and interference manifested by electromagentically induced transparency (EIT) and coherent population trapping (CPT) plays an important role in the current studies of atom-photon interactions and has found numerous applications in optical physics. EIT is created in a three-level atomic system by a coupling field and results in destructive interference between two excitation paths of a weak probe laser interacting with the atomic medium. This leads to suppressed linear absorption and rapidly varying atomic dispersion for the probe laser near the atomic resonance, which provides the platform for a variety of applications such as nonlinear optics at low light levels, slow light manipulation, and quantum state engineering for photons and atoms. Here we extend the simple three-level EIT system to more complicated and versatile configurations in a multi-level atomic system coupled by multiple laser fields. We show that with multiple excitation paths provided by different laser fields, phase-dependent quantum interference is induced: either constructive or destructive interference can be realized by varying the relative phases among the laser fields. Two specific examples are discussed. One is a three-level system coupled by bichromatic coupling and probe fields, in which the phase dependent interference between the resonant two-photon Raman transitions can be initiated and controlled. Another is a four-level system coupled by two coupling fields and two probe fields, in which a double-EIT configuration is created by the phase-dependent interference between three-photon and one-photon excitation processes. We analyze the coherently coupled multi-level atomic system and discuss the control parameters for the onset of constructive or destructive quantum interference. We describe two experiments performed with cold Rb atoms that can be approximately treated as the coherently coupled three-level and four-level atomic systems respectively. The experimental results show the phase-dependent quantum coherence and interference in the multi-level Rb atomic system, and agree with the theoretical calculations based on the coherently coupled three-level or four-level model system.
We present a theory of a continuous-wave light propagation in a medium of atoms with a double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ configuration of levels. This is a configuration with a closed cycle of radiation-induced transitions. An interference of excitation channels in such closed-loop systems leads to a strong dependence of the atomic state on the relative phase and the relative amplitudes of applied electromagnetic waves. Therefore, the medium response may be controlled by the phases. On the other hand, the phases themselves change during the propagation. Thus the state of the medium and all the field parameters are tightly coupled to each other in the present problem. We consider the propagation of four-frequency laser radiation through the double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ medium for two situations. At resonant or near-resonant excitation of atoms, both the medium and the field evolve into a nonabsorbing state. This state implies specific coherent superposition for atoms (``dark state''), and particular relations for the field phases, amplitudes, and frequencies. In this way, the propagation results in the phase, amplitude, and frequency matching of the laser waves. In the second case, one $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ system in double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ atoms is excited resonantly, while the second $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ system is far off resonance. Such an excitation scheme ensures the preparation of atoms in the nearly dark state throughout the medium. Therefore, the total light energy is dissipated very weakly, whereas each individual laser wave can vary considerably along the propagation path. We have found that the resonant fields change as much as the far-detuned ones. The intensities oscillate sinusoidally with the optical length, with the energy being transferred back and forth between two waves in each frequency pair, resonant and far detuned. This gives the possibility for an almost lossless amplification of two of the laser waves, or an even generation of one of them.
In this paper we report on the study of two and multi-level atoms interacting with multiple laser beams. The semi-classical approach is used to describe the system in which the atoms are treated quantum mechanically via the density matrix operator, while the laser beams are treated classically using Maxwells equations. We present results of a two level atom interacting with single and multiple laser beams and demonstrate Rabi oscillations between the levels. The effects of laser modulation on the dynamics of the atom (atomic populations and coherences) are examined by solving the optical Bloch equations. Plots of the density matrix elements as a function of time are presented for various parameters such as laser intensity, detuning, modulation etc. In addition, phase-space plots and Fourier analysis of the density matrix elements are provided. The atomic polarization, estimated from the coherence terms of the density matrix elements, is used in the numerical solution of Maxwells equations to determine the behaviour of the laser beams as they propagate through the atomic ensemble. The effects of saturation and hole-burning are demonstrated in the case of two counter propagating beams with one being a strong beam and the other being very weak. The above work is extended to include four-wave mixing in four level atoms in a diamond configuration. Two co-propagating beams of different wavelengths drive the atoms from a ground state |1〉 to an excited state |3〉 via an intermediate state |2〉. The atoms then move back to the ground state via another intermediate state |4〉, resulting in the generation of two additional correlated photon beams. The characteristics of these additional photons are studied.
We study a four-level atomic scheme interacting with four lasers in a closed-loop configuration with a $\ensuremath{\diamond}$ (diamond) geometry. We investigate the influence of the laser phases on the steady state. We show that, depending on the phases and the decay characteristic, the system can exhibit a variety of behaviors, including population inversion and complete depletion of an atomic state. We explain the phenomena in terms of multiphoton interference, and compare our results with the phase-dependent phenomena in the double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ scheme. This investigation may be useful for developing nonlinear optical devices, and for the spectroscopy and laser cooling of alkali-earth atoms.
We have investigated the dispersive properties of excited-doublet four-level atoms interacting with a weak probe field and an intense coupling laser field. We have derived an analytical expression of the dispersion relation for a general excited-doublet four-level atomic system subject to a one-photon detuning. The numerical results demonstrate that for a typical rubidium Dl line configuration, due to the unequal dipole moments for the transitions of each ground state to double excited states, generally there exists no exact dark state in the system. Close to the two-photon resonance, the probe light can be absorbed or gained and propagate in the so-called superluminal form. This system may be used as an optical switch.