Photons in two colours at once

William G. Sturrus, L. P. Ratliff, Daniel J. Larson

A polarization dependence of a two-colour two-photon detachment cross section has been observed and calculated for the first time. In a Penning ion trap, electrons were detached from Cl - by an intense infrared laser beam at 1064 nm and a weak ultraviolet laser beam at 343 nm. Both beams were circularly polarized. The ratio of the two-colour two-photon cross section for photons with the same circular polarization to that for photons with opposite circular polarization was measured to be 1.085 +0.012 -0.007 . Also presented is a simple calculation of the ratio, the result of which is consistent with the observation.

M. Protopapas, P. L. Knight

We examine the excitation dynamics of a model atom excited by a two-colour laser field. Here the two colours or frequencies are the fundamental and its third harmonic. The atomic model consists of two bound states which are near-resonantly coupled by a three-photon excitation by the fundamental and a one-photon excitation by the third harmonic, and a structureless continuum. We investigate how the laser parameters (intensity and frequency) and the relative phase between the two colours affects the degree of phase modulation in the ionization signal. We compare our findings from this simple model atom with those from more realistic atomic models by carrying out numerical integration of the hydrogenic Schrodinger equation in both one and three dimensions.

B Bell, Sathya Kannan, Alex R. McMillan +3 more

Four-wave mixing in photonic crystal fibre is used to generate path-entangled states of photons of two colours, and demonstrate interference fringes oscillating at 2, 4, and 6 times the frequency of the classical pump laser.