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Journal of Modern Optics

Second order interference in two photon absorption

M. W. Hamilton, Daniel S. Elliott

Published Sep 1, 1996• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Two photon absorption is considered in the context of second order coherence measurements. We examine second order interference fringes for the typical Doppler free spectroscopic layout which involves a retro-reflecting mirror. The fringes are manifested in the wings of the absorption spectrum and their observability requires partial decoherence of the exciting laser light.

DOI
10.1080/09500349608232847

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•Jan 1, 1993•1 citation
Two photon absorption is considered in the context of second order coherence measurements. We examine second order interference fringes for the typical Doppler free spectroscopic layout which involves a retro-reflecting mirror. The fringes are manifested in the wings of the absorption spectrum and their observability requires partial decoherence of the exciting laser light.
Using two coherent time-delayed short pulses, we have demonstrated that one can obtain, in the profile of Doppler-free two-photon resonances, interference fringes with a splitting 12T\frac{1}{2T}2T1​ (TTT, delay time between the two pulses) much smaller than the spectral width $\frac{1}{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ of each pulse ($\ensuremath{\tau}$ duration of each pulse). This method should lead to a number of important improvements in the presently available techniques of ultrahigh-resolution laser spectroscopy of atoms and molecules.
Measurements of two-photon absorption spectra have been made for the case where the exciting laser has a random-telegraph phase. The resulting spectral shapes are compared to theoretical predictions and to previous data taken with a phase-diffusing laser field [Elliott et al., Phys. Rev. A 32, 887 (1985)]. A striking dependence of the absorption spectrum on the second-order coherence of the field was observed. Using the theory for the propagation of second-order spatial coherence, we draw an analogy between diffraction and two-photon absorption which we use to interpret the two-photon absorption spectra.
We have studied Doppler-free two-photon excitation of atoms with a train of phase-coherent standing-wave light pulses, originating from the same laser pulse. Quantum interference effects produce narrow spectral fringes which have a physical origin similar to that of Ramsey fringes. Linewidths much less than the Fourier-transform limit of an individual light pulse have been observed for the sodium $3S\ensuremath{-}5S$ transition; and a dramatic enhancement of the resonant signal is possible.
We have observed interference fringes, like those in Young’s classic experiment, in the laser light scattered by two trapped atoms. The interference fringes are present only in one polarization of the scattered light. The polarization dependence is related to the complementarity principle, which forbids the simultaneous observation of wave-like and particle-like aspects of light. The interference fringes are due to processes in which a single photon scatters from two atoms. We describe methods which might be used to observe other interference eects due to two photons scattering from two atoms.