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CRC Press eBooks

Reflection and transmission on the boundary of a resonant medium

M. G. Benedict, A. M. Ermolaev, В. А. Малышев, I. V. Sokolov, Evgenii Dmitrievich Trifonov

Published Mar 29, 2018• 0 citations
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Abstract

This chapter investigates the transmission and reflection properties of a resonant nonlinear medium when the incoming wave is a short pulse, generally shorter than the relaxation times of the atoms in the medium. It shows that if the lifetime of the macroscopic polarization is long enough, and neither the incident field nor the relaxation processes reduce it, then the field originating from this polarization gives rise to effects which may be called cooperative reflection and transmission. The chapter considers the resonant reflection from the surfaces of the inverted medium of waves propagating inside the medium. It uses this effect to explain the synchronization of the counter-propagating pulses in super-radiance which has been observed in KCl:O2– [FSS84a]. There are several proposals to explain why this synchronization of super-radiance appears in solids.

DOI
10.1201/9780203737880-10

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Reflection and transmission of ultrashort light pulses through a thin resonant medium: Local-field effects

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We investigate the problem of resonant reflection and transmission of an ultrashort light pulse passing through a thin layer consisting of two-level atoms. The local-field correction that leads to an inversion-dependent resonance frequency generates a new mechanism of nonlinear transparency. When the excitation frequency is somewhat larger than the original resonant frequency, then the transmission of the layer exhibits a transient bistable behavior on the time scale of superradiation, which can be much shorter than the relaxation times. This type of bistability is essentially different from the ordinary stationary intrinsic bistability investigated earlier by other authors.

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Coherent reflection as superradiation from the boundary of a resonant medium

M. G. Benedict, Evgenii Dmitrievich Trifonov

The reflection of short optical pulses from the boundary of a resonant medium is investigated theoretically by the coupled system of the Maxwell and optical Bloch equations. In order to describe the reflected wave, the slowly-varying-envelope approximation in space is not exploited. The coherent reflection is shown to be in connection with Dicke superradiance. It takes place if the relaxation time of the polarization is longer than the superradiation time of the atoms in an optically thin boundary layer of the medium. That is why much of the relevant information can be obtained already in the thin-medium limit, which is considered separately. The conditions of strong reflection from an extended medium are similar to the ones found for a thin sample. The transition into the incoherent and stationary regime is discussed.

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Introduction

M. G. Benedict, A M Ermolaev, V. A. Malyshev +2 more

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the main features of super-radiance using some simplified models. It presents a review of experimental work on super-radiance. The book also presents a generalization of the Wigner–Weisskopf approach to the N -atom system using a diagram method of non-stationary perturbation theory. It discusses several correlation functions for the field and the polarization, which characterize the coherence properties of super-radiation. The book uses the semiclassical approach to investigate the influence of de-phasing processes on radiation efficiency, or in other words, the influence of homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening of the spectral line on the dynamics and spectrum of super-radiance. It considers the boundary value problem for the transmission and reflection of short pulses, taking into account the local field correction. Two effects are of special interest: the population-dependent frequency shift and the possibility of mirror-less bistability of ultra-short electromagnetic pulses.

CRC Press eBooks•Mar 29, 2018•0 citations

Near field effect in nonlinear optics of surfaces

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We investigate the boundary-value problem of nonresonant reflection and transmission of probe light wave passing through excited nonlinear semi-infinite medium of three- level atoms. The two lower levels are excited by intensive resonant stationary or nonstationary radiation to obtain the interference of atomic states. Some properties of near field effect in this problem are investigated taking into account retarded polarizing fields and the density-dependent near dipole-dipole interactions. We separate in our consideration three waves: the inversion wave and two polarization waves with corresponding nonlinear indices of refraction.

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Polarium model: Reflection and transmission of coherent radiation

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The coherent, radiative excitation modes of a resonant medium lend a resonant character to the amplitudes for reflection and transmission of light. For a plane wave incident upon a slab-shaped medium of two-level atoms, the reflection and transmission coefficients exhibit sharp peaks and dips as a function of the detuning of the wave from the central atomic resonance frequency. The locations and widths of these resonant features for a normally incident plane wave correspond to the imaginary and real parts, respectively, of the radiative decay constants of the coherent excitation modes of the medium discussed in the preceding paper [Phys. Rev. A 61, 063814 (2000)]. For the case of oblique incidence, generalizations of the modes discussed in the preceding paper are required. The richly detailed, resonant frequency dependence of the reflected and transmitted intensities is shown to depend significantly on the angle of incidence and the polarization of the incident light.

Physical Review A•May 17, 2000•14 citations

Ultrashort x-ray pulse propagation through resonant attenuating media

F. N. Chukhovskiǐ, Ulrich Teubner, Eckhart Forster

The propagation of ultrashort x-ray pulses through a resonant attenuating two-level atom medium is investigated on the basis of the temporal point-source (the Green-function) formalism. A general case of the small-area pulse (SAP) approximation of a traveling coherent wave is considered. The patterns of the SAP envelope E(t,z) and energy U(z) evolution within the medium are calculated in the cases of incident Lorentzian and exponential pulses and their dependence on the temporal bandwidth ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathrm{band}}$ in comparison with the total dissipative relaxation time (lifetime) ${\mathrm{T}}_{2}$ . It is shown that if ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathrm{band}}$ is the same order or smaller than ${\mathrm{T}}_{2}$ , the reshaping (oscillations) of the pulse envelope and/or low energy-loss effects occur in accord with the general conclusions pointed out by Crisp [Phys. Rev. A 1, 1604 (1970)] in the case of the SAP for coherent light traveling through a resonant medium. The experimental conditions for the observation of penetration effects of the SAP of x rays are discussed. Based on the theoretical study, it is found that an ultrashort x-ray pulse emitted by an ultrashort laser-produced plasma propagates through thin resonant medium foils with low energy loss.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Feb 1, 1997•0 citations
This chapter investigates the transmission and reflection properties of a resonant nonlinear medium when the incoming wave is a short pulse, generally shorter than the relaxation times of the atoms in the medium. It shows that if the lifetime of the macroscopic polarization is long enough, and neither the incident field nor the relaxation processes reduce it, then the field originating from this polarization gives rise to effects which may be called cooperative reflection and transmission. The chapter considers the resonant reflection from the surfaces of the inverted medium of waves propagating inside the medium. It uses this effect to explain the synchronization of the counter-propagating pulses in super-radiance which has been observed in KCl:O2– [FSS84a]. There are several proposals to explain why this synchronization of super-radiance appears in solids.
We investigate the problem of resonant reflection and transmission of an ultrashort light pulse passing through a thin layer consisting of two-level atoms. The local-field correction that leads to an inversion-dependent resonance frequency generates a new mechanism of nonlinear transparency. When the excitation frequency is somewhat larger than the original resonant frequency, then the transmission of the layer exhibits a transient bistable behavior on the time scale of superradiation, which can be much shorter than the relaxation times. This type of bistability is essentially different from the ordinary stationary intrinsic bistability investigated earlier by other authors.
The reflection of short optical pulses from the boundary of a resonant medium is investigated theoretically by the coupled system of the Maxwell and optical Bloch equations. In order to describe the reflected wave, the slowly-varying-envelope approximation in space is not exploited. The coherent reflection is shown to be in connection with Dicke superradiance. It takes place if the relaxation time of the polarization is longer than the superradiation time of the atoms in an optically thin boundary layer of the medium. That is why much of the relevant information can be obtained already in the thin-medium limit, which is considered separately. The conditions of strong reflection from an extended medium are similar to the ones found for a thin sample. The transition into the incoherent and stationary regime is discussed.
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the main features of super-radiance using some simplified models. It presents a review of experimental work on super-radiance. The book also presents a generalization of the Wigner–Weisskopf approach to the N -atom system using a diagram method of non-stationary perturbation theory. It discusses several correlation functions for the field and the polarization, which characterize the coherence properties of super-radiation. The book uses the semiclassical approach to investigate the influence of de-phasing processes on radiation efficiency, or in other words, the influence of homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening of the spectral line on the dynamics and spectrum of super-radiance. It considers the boundary value problem for the transmission and reflection of short pulses, taking into account the local field correction. Two effects are of special interest: the population-dependent frequency shift and the possibility of mirror-less bistability of ultra-short electromagnetic pulses.
We investigate the boundary-value problem of nonresonant reflection and transmission of probe light wave passing through excited nonlinear semi-infinite medium of three- level atoms. The two lower levels are excited by intensive resonant stationary or nonstationary radiation to obtain the interference of atomic states. Some properties of near field effect in this problem are investigated taking into account retarded polarizing fields and the density-dependent near dipole-dipole interactions. We separate in our consideration three waves: the inversion wave and two polarization waves with corresponding nonlinear indices of refraction.
The coherent, radiative excitation modes of a resonant medium lend a resonant character to the amplitudes for reflection and transmission of light. For a plane wave incident upon a slab-shaped medium of two-level atoms, the reflection and transmission coefficients exhibit sharp peaks and dips as a function of the detuning of the wave from the central atomic resonance frequency. The locations and widths of these resonant features for a normally incident plane wave correspond to the imaginary and real parts, respectively, of the radiative decay constants of the coherent excitation modes of the medium discussed in the preceding paper [Phys. Rev. A 61, 063814 (2000)]. For the case of oblique incidence, generalizations of the modes discussed in the preceding paper are required. The richly detailed, resonant frequency dependence of the reflected and transmitted intensities is shown to depend significantly on the angle of incidence and the polarization of the incident light.
The propagation of ultrashort x-ray pulses through a resonant attenuating two-level atom medium is investigated on the basis of the temporal point-source (the Green-function) formalism. A general case of the small-area pulse (SAP) approximation of a traveling coherent wave is considered. The patterns of the SAP envelope E(t,z) and energy U(z) evolution within the medium are calculated in the cases of incident Lorentzian and exponential pulses and their dependence on the temporal bandwidth ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathrm{band}}$ in comparison with the total dissipative relaxation time (lifetime) T2{\mathrm{T}}_{2}T2​ . It is shown that if ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\tau}}}_{\mathrm{band}}$ is the same order or smaller than T2{\mathrm{T}}_{2}T2​ , the reshaping (oscillations) of the pulse envelope and/or low energy-loss effects occur in accord with the general conclusions pointed out by Crisp [Phys. Rev. A 1, 1604 (1970)] in the case of the SAP for coherent light traveling through a resonant medium. The experimental conditions for the observation of penetration effects of the SAP of x rays are discussed. Based on the theoretical study, it is found that an ultrashort x-ray pulse emitted by an ultrashort laser-produced plasma propagates through thin resonant medium foils with low energy loss.