Working with a beam of $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$ , we have studied the temporal development of Autler-Townes spectra following switchon of a strong, resonant, driving field. The transient fluorescence spectra observed are dramatically different from those found in the steady state. We find that either member of the Autler-Townes doublet can be eliminated by an appropriate shift in the phase of the driving field, and that the spectral peaks can display interesting temporal oscillations. The observed behavior is interpreted in terms of atomic dynamics and a polarization of the dressed atom-field states.Working with a beam of $^{174}\mathrm{Yb}$, we have studied the temporal development of Autler-Townes spectra following switchon of a strong, resonant, driving field. The transient fluorescence spectra observed are dramatically different from those found in the steady state. We find that either member of the Autler-Townes doublet can be eliminated by an appropriate shift in the phase of the driving field, and that the spectral peaks can display interesting temporal oscillations. The observed behavior is interpreted in terms of atomic dynamics and a polarization of the dressed atom-field states.

Physical Review LettersOct 6, 198640 citations

Working with a beam of

^{174}\mathrm{Yb}

, we have studied the temporal development of Autler-Townes spectra following switchon of a strong, resonant, driving field. The transient fluorescence spectra observed are dramatically different from those found in the steady state. We find that either member of the Autler-Townes doublet can be eliminated by an appropriate shift in the phase of the driving field, and that the spectral peaks can display interesting temporal oscillations. The observed behavior is interpreted in terms of atomic dynamics and a polarization of the dressed atom-field states.