Lineshapes for a pure three level system: quantum coherence effects on absorption and birefringence of helium
Francesco Saverio Pavone, F. Bassani, Giovanni Bianchini +4 more
We have investigated atomic coherence effects in the ladder scheme of the triplet transitions 2S-2P-3S of helium. A powerful dressing laser at 706 nm in resonance with the 2P-3S transition induces a transparency on the 2S-2P transition at 1083 nm probed by a weak laser. We have characterised this induced transparency also known as Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), demonstrating the possibility of reaching 100% of bleaching. Also, we have evidenced the presence of the two photon effect on the EIT process by studying its dependence on the mutual probe-dress polarisation angle. With such a simple level scheme a quantitative comparison with the theory has been made possible and many of the predicted effects have been investigated. Furthermore, polarisation of the dressing laser field has allowed for the first time the study of the electromagnetically induced birefringence which causes a change in the probe laser polarization. The experiments were performed not only in the clean environment of a metastable atomic beam but also in a weak radiofrequency discharge; this configuration could be suggestive for non inverted gain phenomena through incoherent population of excited levels.
AIP conference proceedings•Jan 1, 1997•0 citations