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Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Steady-State Switching and Dispersion/Absorption Spectroscopy of Multistate Atoms Inside an Optical Ring Cavity

Jiteng Sheng

Published Jan 1, 2013• 0 citations

Abstract

This thesis mainly focuses on the experimental investigations of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) related phenomena in various systems involving multilevel atoms inside an optical ring cavity. Semiclassical methods, e.g. density-matrix equations, are used through out this thesis to simulate the experimental results. First, the cavity transmission spectrum can be significantly modified when multilevel atoms are placed inside an optical ring cavity. Such coupled atom-cavity systems are well explained by the intracavity dispersion/absorption properties. Specifically, three-level lambda-type, four-level N-type and double-lambda-type atoms inside an optical ring cavity are investigated by examining their cavity transmission spectra. Second, optical multistability (OM) has been demonstrated with EIT atoms inside an optical ring cavity. Such OM has been utilized to realize a controllable optical multistate switch, which can be modeled as a triple-well system. Third, self-Kerr nonlinearities of multilevel atoms are measured in an optical ring cavity by scanning the cavity length. Fourth, bright Stokes and anti-Stokes fields are generated simultaneously in a doubly-resonant atomic optical parametric oscillator (AOPO). In addition, vacuum-induced absorption and noise correlations are studied in the AOPO system. Last, a theoretical model is proposed to realize parity-time (PT) symmetry in a four-level N-type atomic system by spatially modifying the complex refractive index in free space. Moreover, the experimental progress is made to observe discrete diffraction pattern in an optically induced lattice by interfering with plane waves in a coherent atomic medium.

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This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the theoretical and experimental studies of atomic optical bistability and multistability, and their dynamical properties in systems with two- and three-level inhomogeneously-broadened atoms inside an optical cavity. By making use of the modified linear absorption and dispersion, as well as the greatly enhanced nonlinearity in the three-level electromagnetically induced transparency system, the optical bistablity and efficient all-optical switching can be achieved at relatively low laser powers, which can be well controlled and manipulated. Until now, the rapid rate of progress in applications of multilevel systems in cross-disciplinary field has made it difficult to newcomers to the field to obtain a broad overview of this topic. This monograph will serve the purpose.

Summary form only given. The reduced absorption and enhanced nonlinearity in a three-level electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) system are very important in achieving an effective all-optical switching action. The Kerr-nonlinear index of refraction of a three-level EIT medium can be greatly enhanced near resonance due to atomic coherence induced in such a system in comparison with a two-level atomic system, as we have shown by using an optical ring cavity. Both the magnitude and sign of the Kerr-nonlinear index change dramatically for different frequency detunings of the controlling (or coupling) or cavity (or probe) field. Bistability and dynamic instability occur when such a three-level /spl Lambda/-type EIT system is placed inside an optical ring cavity and the controlling and cavity input intensities to exceed certain threshold values. In this paper, we present a recent experimental demonstration of controlling the cavity output intensity by modulating the frequency detuning of the controlling beam.

Atomic media inside an optical cavity can significantly alter the spectral response of the cavity. Both theoretical and experimental examinations are made of the cavity transmission with a highly dispersive intracavity multilevel atomic medium. It is found, owing to the reduced absorption and steep dispersion change accompanying electromagnetically induced transparency in such a multi-level atomic medium, that the cavity linewidth can be made much narrower than the empty cavity linewidth. Cavity linewidth narrowing is measured as a function of both the coupling beam power and the atomic density. These experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Dynamic instability and chaos are experimentally observed in the output field of an optical cavity consisting of three-level atoms near the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). The observed dynamic instability and route to chaos can be well controlled by the coupling laser field, and are greatly enhanced by the modified absorption, dispersion, and nonlinearity due to induced atomic coherence in the three-level atomic EIT system. A theoretical model is developed to quantitatively explain the observed results.

Linear absorption and dispersion properties, as well as Kerr nonlinear index, of three-level atomic systems can be greatly modified under the condition of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). By placing such EIT atoms in a vapor cell inside an optical ring cavity, the cavity transmission spectrum can be altered and controlled. We show that the cavity transmission linewidth can be narrowed substantially comparing to the empty cavity linewidth due to the sharp normal (linear) dispersion associated with the EIT resonance (which can be considered as photons traveling with a slower speed inside the optical cavity). On the other hand, the Kerr nonlinear dispersion has the opposite slope comparing to the linear dispersion near the EIT resonance, which can be used to balance the linear dispersion and lead to total anomalous dispersion for the intracavity atomic medium (with ``superluminal photon speed'' inside the optical cavity). Such anomalous dispersion in the intracavity medium makes the cavity transmission linewidth broader than the empty cavity linewidth. Under certain parameters, the so called ``white-light cavity'' condition can be satisfied, which makes the cavity transmission linewidth very broad and, at the same time, have high cavity transmission. Such modified and controlled cavity transmission linewidths can have many interesting applications in frequency locking, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, nonlinear optical spectroscopy, cavity-QED, and even recycling cavity of the gravitational-wave detector.