Time-dependent perturbation theory and two-photon absorption

N. Ionescu-Pallas, J. Maurer

William J. Meath

A model two-level dipolar molecule, and the rotating wave approximation and perturbation theory, are used to investigate the optimization and the laser intensity dependence of the two-photon excitation rate via the direct permanent dipole mechanism. The rate is proportional to the square of the laser intensity I only for small intensities and times when perturbation theory is applicable. An improvement on perturbation theory is provided by a small time RWA result for the rate which is not proportional to I2; rather it is proportional to the square of an effective intensity Ieff. For each laser intensity the optimum RWA excitation rate as a function of time, for low intensities, is proportional to I, not I2, and for high intensities it is proportional to Ieff. For a given two-photon transition the laser-molecule coupling optimizes for an intensity Imax which, for example, leads to a maximum possible excitation rate as a function of time. The validity of the RWA results of this paper, and the importance of including the effects of virtual excited states, are also discussed briefly.

William J. Meath, B. N. Jagatap, A. E. Kondo

The dynamics and the cross sections associated with the excitation of a ground-state dipolar molecule to an excited state, by the simultaneous absorption of two photons, are discussed using the rotating wave approximation and time-dependent perturbation theory. The excitations of ten- and two-energy level representations of model dipolar molecules are used for illustrative purposes. The temporal development of the final state of the excitation process and the two-photon excitation cross sections are discussed as functions of laser intensity, laser–molecule interaction time and the two types of excitation mechanism (which are available for dipolar molecules, relative to the one mechanism for a non-polar molecule). The results are used to discuss the validity of perturbation theory treatments of the problem and various strategies for the enhancement of the intrinsically weak two-photon excitation process.

清 西川, 昭 佐道, Hiroshi Sekiya +3 more

E. Courtens, A. Szöke

The theory of resonance Raman effect, resonantly enhanced two-photon absorption, and resonance fluorescence---valid also for strong fields---is treated in a unified and simplified way. Dressed states, Bloch equations, and perturbation theory are used to calculate line positions, and integrated intensities both for steady state and transient excitation. The case of adiabatic following is solved explicitly; it occurs when an off-resonance incident pulse is turned on and off slowly. It leads to the identification of Raman scattering, two-photon absorption, and Rayleigh scattering with an adiabatic process while fluorescence and consecutive two-photon absorption with nonadiabaticity. Time-dependent spectra are defined in a rigorous way. Our formulas agree in the various limits with those that appear in the literature.

Hiroshi Sekiya, Seikyo Tsunekawa, Kiyoshi Nishikawa +1 more