© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

Terms Privacy Legal Notice

Physical Review A

Dynamic transition from complete population transfer to self-induced transparency

Andreas Pusch, Joachim M. Hamm, Ortwin G. Hess

Published Apr 5, 2012• 3 citations

Abstract

We explore the connection between adiabatic rapid passage, a technique that allows for robust complete population transfer (CPT) in a resonant absorber, and self-induced transparency solitons. We employ the auxiliary differential equation finite-difference time-domain method to fully resolve the dynamics of femtosecond light pulses propagating through an absorbing two-level medium. Using the example of linearly chirped Gaussian pulses we find that the pulses achieving robust CPT for a single two-level system are also pulses that will transform into solitary waves when incident on a resonantly absorbing medium. At the entrance into the absorber strongly chirped, adiabatic pulses completely transfer the electronic population from the ground to the upper state. As the pulses suffer absorption they undergo a dynamic transition and quickly split into an off-resonant radiation part and one or several unchirped solitary pulses that may carry away some of the initially achieved population inversion. This spectral and temporal transformation process limits the spatial depths of the region of CPT in a dense absorber regardless of the initial pulse amplitude. We also show that the frequency-domain pulse area, defined as the spectral amplitude at the resonance frequency, allows for a better distinction between the regimes of $2\ensuremath{\pi}$-pulse and $0\ensuremath{\pi}$-pulse formation than time-domain measurements.

DOI: 10.1103/physreva.85.043807

Related papers

Adiabatic propagation of short pulses under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency

Vasily G. Arkhipkin, Ivan V. Timofeev

The spatial and temporal dynamics of two short pulses propagating in an optically dense medium of resonant three-level Λ-atoms is investigated numerically and analytically. The maximum coherence for the Raman transition due to coherent population trapping. It is shown that, at the initial stage of propagation, the waveforms of such pulses only slightly change along the length of the medium, which may considerably exceed the length of linear absorption for a single weak pulse. As the length of the absorbing medium increases, the energy of the probe (first) pulse is completely transferred into the second (control) pulse.

Quantum Electronics•Feb 28, 2000•10 citations

Pulse pair propagation under conditions of induced transparency

Vasily G. Arkhipkin, Ivan V. Timofeev

The spatial and temporal dynamics of two short laser pulses propagating in absorbing three-level medium under conditions of induced transparency is investigated in adiabatic approximation. We analyze two cases of electro-magnetically induced transparency creating--coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer. It is shown that in both cases the probe pulse can penetrate into a medium at a distance considerably exceeding the length of linear absorption of a single weak probe pulse in absence of a coupling pulse at adjacent transition. The difference of spatial and temporal evolution of level population in processes of coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer is although demonstrated.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Apr 14, 2000•0 citations

Solitary propagation effect of a well-defined chirped femtosecond laser pulse in a resonance-absorbing medium

Q. Q. Xu, D. Z. Yao, Xiaona Liu +2 more

We investigate the solitary propagation effect of a well-defined chirped femtosecond laser pulse in a resonance-absorbing medium which is modeled by a two-level quantum dot ensemble. Employing full time-dependent and space-dependent Maxwell-Bloch equations, the evolution of the pulse and the population inversion as well as the spectrum are obtained. The results reveal that the special chirped pulse can retain its shape and resist breakup while propagating through the absorbing medium. Besides, the spectrum does not exhibit obvious broadening but the central and near-central frequency components tend to vanish. Moreover, the stable soliton formed by the special chirped-pulse design based on stimulated Raman adiabatic passage does not obey the area theorem.

Physical Review A•Aug 29, 2012•11 citations

Carrier-wave self-induced transparency

A. V. Pakhomov

The standard self-induced transparency (SIT) phenomenon represents the lossless propagation of a long multicycle stable soliton in an absorbing two-level resonant medium, if the soliton's envelope area equals $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ ($2\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse). In this case, the leading half of the $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse excites the medium, while the trailing half completely brings the medium back to the ground state. In this work, we theoretically demonstrate an analogous phenomenon for subcycle pulses propagating in an arbitrary multilevel resonant medium. The duration of the obtained solitary pulses must be smaller than the periods of resonant transitions in the medium. The obtained subcycle solitary solutions first turn an initially unexcited multi-level resonant medium to excited levels and then fully return it back to the ground state.

Physical Review A•Oct 2, 2025•1 citation

Propagation of Gaussian pulses under conditions of adiabatic population transfer

Vasily G. Arkhipkin, Д. В. Манушкин, V. P. Timofeev

The features of spatial propagation of two partially overlapping short resonant pulses (counterintuitive pulse sequencing) in an absorbing medium of three-level atoms under conditions of adiabatic population transfer are investigated. We find that pulses can propagate with practically constant amplitudes in a medium with length much higher than the absorption length. It is shown that adiabatic population transfer creates full population inversion on a dipole-forbidden (Raman) transition over the way of pulses' propagation. We suggest use of this technique for conversion of picosecond laser pulses into tunable coherent anti-Stokes radiation.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Feb 25, 1999•0 citations

Pulse pair propagation under conditions of induced transparency: adiabatic approximation

Vasily G. Arkhipkin, Ivan V. Timofeev

The features of spatial and temporal evolution of two short laser pulses propagating in three-level medium under conditions of coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer is investigated in adiabatic approximation. It is shown that in both cases pulses can penetrate into a medium at a distance considerably exceeding the length of linear absorption of a single weak probe pulse in absence of a coupling pulse at adjacent transition. The difference of spatial and temporal evolution of level populations in processes of coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer is demonstrated. Also we show that the concept of dressed-field pulses is consequence of Manley-Raw relation.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Mar 9, 2001•0 citations

We explore the connection between adiabatic rapid passage, a technique that allows for robust complete population transfer (CPT) in a resonant absorber, and self-induced transparency solitons. We employ the auxiliary differential equation finite-difference time-domain method to fully resolve the dynamics of femtosecond light pulses propagating through an absorbing two-level medium. Using the example of linearly chirped Gaussian pulses we find that the pulses achieving robust CPT for a single two-level system are also pulses that will transform into solitary waves when incident on a resonantly absorbing medium. At the entrance into the absorber strongly chirped, adiabatic pulses completely transfer the electronic population from the ground to the upper state. As the pulses suffer absorption they undergo a dynamic transition and quickly split into an off-resonant radiation part and one or several unchirped solitary pulses that may carry away some of the initially achieved population inversion. This spectral and temporal transformation process limits the spatial depths of the region of CPT in a dense absorber regardless of the initial pulse amplitude. We also show that the frequency-domain pulse area, defined as the spectral amplitude at the resonance frequency, allows for a better distinction between the regimes of

2\ensuremath{\pi}

-pulse and

0\ensuremath{\pi}

-pulse formation than time-domain measurements.

The spatial and temporal dynamics of two short pulses propagating in an optically dense medium of resonant three-level Λ-atoms is investigated numerically and analytically. The maximum coherence for the Raman transition due to coherent population trapping. It is shown that, at the initial stage of propagation, the waveforms of such pulses only slightly change along the length of the medium, which may considerably exceed the length of linear absorption for a single weak pulse. As the length of the absorbing medium increases, the energy of the probe (first) pulse is completely transferred into the second (control) pulse.

The spatial and temporal dynamics of two short laser pulses propagating in absorbing three-level medium under conditions of induced transparency is investigated in adiabatic approximation. We analyze two cases of electro-magnetically induced transparency creating--coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer. It is shown that in both cases the probe pulse can penetrate into a medium at a distance considerably exceeding the length of linear absorption of a single weak probe pulse in absence of a coupling pulse at adjacent transition. The difference of spatial and temporal evolution of level population in processes of coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer is although demonstrated.

We investigate the solitary propagation effect of a well-defined chirped femtosecond laser pulse in a resonance-absorbing medium which is modeled by a two-level quantum dot ensemble. Employing full time-dependent and space-dependent Maxwell-Bloch equations, the evolution of the pulse and the population inversion as well as the spectrum are obtained. The results reveal that the special chirped pulse can retain its shape and resist breakup while propagating through the absorbing medium. Besides, the spectrum does not exhibit obvious broadening but the central and near-central frequency components tend to vanish. Moreover, the stable soliton formed by the special chirped-pulse design based on stimulated Raman adiabatic passage does not obey the area theorem.

The standard self-induced transparency (SIT) phenomenon represents the lossless propagation of a long multicycle stable soliton in an absorbing two-level resonant medium, if the soliton's envelope area equals $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ ($2\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse). In this case, the leading half of the $2\ensuremath{\pi}$ pulse excites the medium, while the trailing half completely brings the medium back to the ground state. In this work, we theoretically demonstrate an analogous phenomenon for subcycle pulses propagating in an arbitrary multilevel resonant medium. The duration of the obtained solitary pulses must be smaller than the periods of resonant transitions in the medium. The obtained subcycle solitary solutions first turn an initially unexcited multi-level resonant medium to excited levels and then fully return it back to the ground state.

The features of spatial propagation of two partially overlapping short resonant pulses (counterintuitive pulse sequencing) in an absorbing medium of three-level atoms under conditions of adiabatic population transfer are investigated. We find that pulses can propagate with practically constant amplitudes in a medium with length much higher than the absorption length. It is shown that adiabatic population transfer creates full population inversion on a dipole-forbidden (Raman) transition over the way of pulses' propagation. We suggest use of this technique for conversion of picosecond laser pulses into tunable coherent anti-Stokes radiation.

The features of spatial and temporal evolution of two short laser pulses propagating in three-level medium under conditions of coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer is investigated in adiabatic approximation. It is shown that in both cases pulses can penetrate into a medium at a distance considerably exceeding the length of linear absorption of a single weak probe pulse in absence of a coupling pulse at adjacent transition. The difference of spatial and temporal evolution of level populations in processes of coherent population trapping and adiabatic population transfer is demonstrated. Also we show that the concept of dressed-field pulses is consequence of Manley-Raw relation.