Theory of Atomic Excitation by Multiple Laser Pulses

K. I. Rozgachev, V. A. Fabrikant

F. T. Hioe, Joseph H. Eberly

The probability of preparing multilevel atoms in high-lying levels by multiphoton excitation using one or more laser pulses can be increased by suitably tailoring the pulse amplitudes and frequencies. Few, if any, systematic methods designed specifically for multilevel excitation have been proposed. We present in this paper specific pulses and phase modulations which give specific degrees of inversion of multilevel atoms in analytic form.

M.A. Lauder

T. Aoki, Makoto Yasuhara, Atsuo Morinaga

A time-domain atomic multiple-wave interferometer using laser-cooled and trapped sodium atoms has been developed under pulsed magnetic fields. Each atomic phase was shifted due to the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect by applying spatially homogeneous pulsed magnetic fields between numerous Raman excitation laser pulses. Interference fringes with a finesse of 11 were demonstrated for 11 successive Raman pulses and ten magnetic-field pulses.

C. J. Joachain

Mark P. Silverman, S. Haroche, M. Groß

A general theory of quantum beats induced by pulsed-laser excitation is presented. The theory accounts for laser saturation effects such as stimulated emission from the excited atomic state during passage of the light pulse and light-induced atomic-level displacements. Under certain experimental conditions saturation may result in a modification, sometimes even in a regeneration, of the beat amplitudes.