We derive the equation of motion for the quantum-mechanical radiation density matrix of a gas laser to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant. Our derivation is fully quantum mechanical and we can calculate the coherence properties from the radiation density matrix. Our model consists of $N$ two-level systems interacting with radiation in a cavity in the presence of dissipation, pumping, and collisions. The method we use is a generalization of the Bogoliubov derivation of the kinetic equation for a small parameter. Our derivation holds for any physically realizable pump power, and near threshold reduces to Lamb's near-threshold theory. With the equation of motion for the radiation density matrix, we obtain solutions both for when the average field is nonzero and for when it is zero. The steady-state electromagnetic density is the same in both cases except for a small spontaneous-emission term. We show that the reason gas lasers do not satisfy rate equations is the existence of zeroth-order correlations between the internal atomic variables and atomic center-of-mass variables. It is these same zeroth-order correlations which are responsible for the Lamb dip. Our derivation includes collisions and reduces the calculations of their effect to quadrature.We derive the equation of motion for the quantum-mechanical radiation density matrix of a gas laser to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant. Our derivation is fully quantum mechanical and we can calculate the coherence properties from the radiation density matrix. Our model consists of $N$ two-level systems interacting with radiation in a cavity in the presence of dissipation, pumping, and collisions. The method we use is a generalization of the Bogoliubov derivation of the kinetic equation for a small parameter. Our derivation holds for any physically realizable pump power, and near threshold reduces to Lamb's near-threshold theory. With the equation of motion for the radiation density matrix, we obtain solutions both for when the average field is nonzero and for when it is zero. The steady-state electromagnetic density is the same in both cases except for a small spontaneous-emission term. We show that the reason gas lasers do not satisfy rate equations is the existence of zeroth-order correlations between the internal atomic variables and atomic center-of-mass variables. It is these same zeroth-order correlations which are responsible for the Lamb dip. Our derivation includes collisions and reduces the calculations of their effect to quadrature.

Physical ReviewApr 10, 196714 citations

Quantum Theory of a Laser Model

C. R. Willis

We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix $R$ to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where $\mathfrak{N}$ is the number of two-level systems per unit volume, ${r}_{0}$ is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix $R$ to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where $\mathfrak{N}$ is the number of two-level systems per unit volume, ${r}_{0}$ is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.

Physical ReviewJul 8, 196622 citations

Theory of Collisions between Laser Cooled Atoms

Paul S. Julienne, Andrew M. Smith II, Keith R. Burnett

Advances in atomic, molecular, and optical physicsJan 1, 1992101 citations

Theory of Laser-Atom Interactions

C. J. Joachain

NATO ASI series. Series B : PhysicsJan 1, 199416 citations

Quantum Theory of a Gas Laser. II

C. R. Willis

We generalize the method of deriving a kinetic equation for a gas laser developed in the first paper of this series to include radiation-matter correlations. As a consequence, we are able to show that the first Born approximation with asymptotic conditions which contain radiation-matter correlations is sufficient to explain the nonthermal photon distribution observed in photon-counting experiments. Our derivation includes the spatial and velocity effects of the motion of the gas atoms. After adiabatically eliminating the matter variables, we obtain a master equation for the radiation density matrix $R$ with nonlinear coefficients. Our radiation master equation for stationary atoms without spatial effects is the same as the generalized Fokker-Planck equation of the Langevin-noise-equation treatment of lasers. We show that the generalized Fokker-Planck equation is the result of the first-Born-approximation treatment of the j\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}A interaction and is not dependent upon the microscopic structure of the reservoirs. In the first Born approximation, the diagonal and off-diagonal matrix elements of $R$ do not interact with each other. Consequently, an initially diagonal radiation density matrix remains diagonal. However, we show that even though the stationary state is diagonal it is necessary to know the propagator of the off-diagonal part of $R$ to answer time-dependent questions about quantities, such as the line shape, that depend on phase.We generalize the method of deriving a kinetic equation for a gas laser developed in the first paper of this series to include radiation-matter correlations. As a consequence, we are able to show that the first Born approximation with asymptotic conditions which contain radiation-matter correlations is sufficient to explain the nonthermal photon distribution observed in photon-counting experiments. Our derivation includes the spatial and velocity effects of the motion of the gas atoms. After adiabatically eliminating the matter variables, we obtain a master equation for the radiation density matrix $R$ with nonlinear coefficients. Our radiation master equation for stationary atoms without spatial effects is the same as the generalized Fokker-Planck equation of the Langevin-noise-equation treatment of lasers. We show that the generalized Fokker-Planck equation is the result of the first-Born-approximation treatment of the j\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}A interaction and is not dependent upon the microscopic structure of the reservoirs. In the first Born approximation, the diagonal and off-diagonal matrix elements of $R$ do not interact with each other. Consequently, an initially diagonal radiation density matrix remains diagonal. However, we show that even though the stationary state is diagonal it is necessary to know the propagator of the off-diagonal part of $R$ to answer time-dependent questions about quantities, such as the line shape, that depend on phase.

Physical ReviewJan 10, 196814 citations

N

two-level systems interacting with radiation in a cavity in the presence of dissipation, pumping, and collisions. The method we use is a generalization of the Bogoliubov derivation of the kinetic equation for a small parameter. Our derivation holds for any physically realizable pump power, and near threshold reduces to Lamb's near-threshold theory. With the equation of motion for the radiation density matrix, we obtain solutions both for when the average field is nonzero and for when it is zero. The steady-state electromagnetic density is the same in both cases except for a small spontaneous-emission term. We show that the reason gas lasers do not satisfy rate equations is the existence of zeroth-order correlations between the internal atomic variables and atomic center-of-mass variables. It is these same zeroth-order correlations which are responsible for the Lamb dip. Our derivation includes collisions and reduces the calculations of their effect to quadrature.

We derive the kinetic equations for the coupled single-particle density matrix $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and the electromagnetic density matrix

R

to lowest order in the dimensionless coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}\ensuremath{\equiv}{(\frac{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}}{{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}})}^{2}$. The laser frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{L}$ is ${(4\ensuremath{\pi})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}{(\mathfrak{N}{r}_{0}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2})}^{\frac{1}{2}}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ where

\mathfrak{N}

is the number of two-level systems per unit volume,

{r}_{0}

is the classical electron radius, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ is the wavelength of the radiation, and $k{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{0}$ is the two-level energy difference. The Doppler frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{D}$ characterizes the center-of-mass motion. For gas lasers ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$ is much less than 1 and, consequently, we generalize and use the Bogoliubov derivation of kinetic equations for weak interactions. We find solutions when the average field vanishes and which include spontaneous emission correctly. The single-particle density matrix and the radiation density matrix are coupled through their second moments. When we substitute the solution of the second-moment equations into the density-matrix equations, we find that each density matrix satisfies an uncoupled linear equation with known time-dependent coefficients. We introduce and discuss dissipation from the density-matrix point of view. With the use of the density-matrix formalism we indicate that the correct expansion parameter for higher order kinetic equations is ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{2}$.

R

with nonlinear coefficients. Our radiation master equation for stationary atoms without spatial effects is the same as the generalized Fokker-Planck equation of the Langevin-noise-equation treatment of lasers. We show that the generalized Fokker-Planck equation is the result of the first-Born-approximation treatment of the j\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}A interaction and is not dependent upon the microscopic structure of the reservoirs. In the first Born approximation, the diagonal and off-diagonal matrix elements of

R

do not interact with each other. Consequently, an initially diagonal radiation density matrix remains diagonal. However, we show that even though the stationary state is diagonal it is necessary to know the propagator of the off-diagonal part of

R

to answer time-dependent questions about quantities, such as the line shape, that depend on phase.