Bennett Distribution and Change in the Emission and Absorption Spectra in a Strong Field

F. A. Vorob'ev, R. I. Sokolovskiǐ

Abraham G. Kofman

Steady-state saturation of Doppler-broadened spectra of gases by strong near-resonant field in the presence of weak velocity-changing collisions (VCC), which causes the Gaussian-Markovian frequency fluctuations, is considered nonperturbatively. A stochastic rate equation is derived, and its applicability to different systems is discussed. The field-matter interaction is approximated by a \ensuremath{\delta}-function sink in the velocity space. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the validity of this contact model (CM) are obtained. The CM is shown to hold for not too strong fields and/or sufficiently frequent VCC. The CM has allowed us to obtain nonperturbative analytical results for the velocity distribution of the populations of the resonant transition, the integral populations, and the absorption (induced emission) rate. We show that the CM, together with the quasistatic limit, describes the saturation for all values of the parameters, except for the region of the transition between the above models. For the exactly resonant case the CM, together with the previously obtained nonperturbative solution, provides the full solution of the problem. The most striking feature of the saturation in the case of weak VCC is the intermediate saturation, i.e., the existence of the interval of the field intensities, where the populations and absorption (emission) rate are almost independent of the field. In this region the sink is very strong, whereas the coupling of the field with nonresonant atoms is still weak, so that the saturation is controlled by the diffusion of the active atoms in the velocity space towards the sink. The results of the present theory are shown to differ significantly from the results of the strong-collision model of the VCC. The present theory is verified by independent numerical calculations.

Yu. A. Zinin, N. V. Sushilov

An analytic expression of the polarization induced by a polychromatic weak probe field in a two-level medium, driven by a strong polychromatic pumping field, is obtained. This expression allows one to obtain both the absorption and dispersion spectra at any frequency of a probe field. The numerically calculated graphs of the central-component probe-field absorption and dispersion spectra, depending on the pumping-field amplitude in the cases of the one-, two- three-, four-, and five-component pumping field, are presented. It is shown that when the probe-field detuning is close to the strong-field Rabi frequency, the absorption spectrum changes to the dispersionlike form, while the dispersion spectrum changes to the absorptionlike one.

Mitchel Weissbluth

Bryan J. Dalton

Shaoul Ezekiel, F Y Wu

An investigation was made of the resonance fluorescence and absorption spectra of sodium atoms [corresponding to the 3 2 S 1/2 ( F =2)–3 2 P 3/2 ( F' =3) transition] excited by a strong monochromatic field, as well as by combinations of strong and tunable fields. The experimental results obtained were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.