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Scientific Reports

Incoherent pumping-induced optical limiting

Noushin Parkan, Soheila Toumarzadeh, Seyed Morteza Mousavi, Mohammad Mahmoudi

Published Dec 1, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The nonlinear optical absorption of a probe field is investigated in a three-level V-type quantum system under a pump-probe configuration. It is demonstrated that the system exhibits saturable absorption (SA) behavior. By introducing an indirect incoherent pumping field on the probe transition, we show that the incoherent field critically influences the switching from SA to reverse saturable absorption (RSA). This switching enables the system to function as an optical limiter, protecting sensors and seekers against high-power optical pulses. The results reveal that key parameters-such as the intensity of the incoherent field, detuning, and coupling field strength-can be precisely tuned to modulate optical limiting characteristics, including threshold intensity and operational range. The underlying physical mechanism is elucidated through the derivation and analysis of an analytical expression for the nonlinear absorption. The output response is further validated through calculations based on the open-aperture Z-scan technique. Overall, this study highlights the crucial role of incoherent field engineering in tailoring optical limiting behavior, providing a versatile framework for advanced photonic applications.

DOI
10.1038/s41598-025-30628-8

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The nonlinear optical absorption of a probe field is investigated in a three-level V-type quantum system under a pump-probe configuration. It is demonstrated that the system exhibits saturable absorption (SA) behavior. By introducing an indirect incoherent pumping field on the probe transition, we show that the incoherent field critically influences the switching from SA to reverse saturable absorption (RSA). This switching enables the system to function as an optical limiter, protecting sensors and seekers against high-power optical pulses. The results reveal that key parameters-such as the intensity of the incoherent field, detuning, and coupling field strength-can be precisely tuned to modulate optical limiting characteristics, including threshold intensity and operational range. The underlying physical mechanism is elucidated through the derivation and analysis of an analytical expression for the nonlinear absorption. The output response is further validated through calculations based on the open-aperture Z-scan technique. Overall, this study highlights the crucial role of incoherent field engineering in tailoring optical limiting behavior, providing a versatile framework for advanced photonic applications.
We study the generation and control of the microwave (MW)-induced reverse saturable absorption (RSA) and optical limiting (OL) in a three-level pump-probe V-type quantum system. It is shown that the saturable absorption switches to the RSA by applying the MW field to the transition between two upper levels. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the RSA and the induced OL threshold are controlled by either the intensity or detuning of the MW field. In addition, the effect of the coupling field on the induced optical limiting is studied, and it is obtained that the cross-Kerr nonlinearity has a major role in establishing efficient optical power limiting. In addition, we demonstrate that an increase in the atomic density and length of the medium makes the optical limiter more powerful. Finally, the theoretical Z-scan technique is presented to confirm the obtained results of the microwave-induced OL. The proposed scheme can be used to prepare a controllable optical limiter with various thresholds, which can protect the optical devices with different sensitivities.
We investigate the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) and optical limiting (OL) in a three-level V-type quantum system considering the effect of the spontaneously generated coherence (SGC). It is shown that in the absence of the SGC effect, the saturable absorption (SA) is dominant in the system. By taking into account the SGC effect, we prove that the SA dramatically switches to the RSA. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the OL threshold and OL efficiency can be controlled by the SGC effect. In addition, we show that the applied field properties such as detuning can modify the SGC-induced optical limiter efficiency. It is also shown an increase in the atomic density and length of the medium makes the optical limiter more efficient. The analytical calculation shows that the Kerr nonlinearity caused by the SGC effect is the main mechanism of the system evolution. Finally, the theoretical Z-scan experiment is presented to confirm the obtained results. Our proposed scheme can be useful to design controllable atomic optical limiters for optical devices with different sensitivities.
We explore the coherent control of nonlinear absorption of intense laser fields in four-level atomic systems. For instance, in a four-level ladder system, a coupling field creates electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with an Aulter-Townes doublet for the probe field while the control field is absent. A large absorption peak appears at resonance as the control field is switched on. We show how such a large absorption leads to optical switching. Further, this large absorption diminishes and a transparency window appears due to the saturation effects as the strength of the probe field is increased. We further demonstrate that the threshold of the optical bistability can be modified by suitable choices of the coupling and the control fields. In a four-level Y\mathsf{Y}Y-type configuration, the effect of the control field on saturable absorption (SA) and reverse saturable absorption (RSA) is highlighted in the context of nonlinear absorption of the probe field. We achieve RSA and SA in a simple atomic system just by applying a control field.
We theoretically and experimentally study absorption of picosecond laser pulses in materials described by a four-level system that exhibit reverse saturable absorption (RSA). Using an approximate solution to the rate equations, we derive, analyze, and verify, numerically and experimentally, a single dynamical equation for the spatial evolution of the pulse fluence that includes both the rate equations and the propagation equation. This analytical approach considerably simplifies the study of optical limiting with picosecond pulses and helps to predict the behavior of the nonlinear transmittance, the level of output signal clamping, and a possible turnover from RSA to saturable absorption that restricts the performance of optical limiters based on RSA. The results obtained can also be used to characterize RSA materials by the pump–probe technique.
Generation and control of the reverse saturable absorption (RSA) and optical limiting (OL) are investigated in a four-level Y-type quantum system. It is demonstrated that the applied laser fields induce the RSA and it can be coherently controlled by either intensity or frequency of the applied laser fields. The effect of the static magnetic field on the induced RSA is studied and we obtain that it has a constructive role in determining the intensity range in which the OL is established in the system. In addition, we find that the transmission of the suggested optical limiter can be decreased either by increasing the length of the medium or by getting the atomic system denser. Finally, the Z-scan technique is presented to confirm our theoretical results. The proposed scheme can be used in designing the coherent optical limiters with controllable threshold and intensity range of the OL.
We present a convenient way to obtain an optical power limiting behavior in a quantum dot molecule system, induced by an interdot tunneling. Also, the effect of system parameters on the limiting performance is investigated; interestingly, the tunneling rate can affect the limiting performance of the system so that the threshold of the limiting behavior can be a function of the input voltage, allowing the optimization of the limiting action. Furthermore, by investigating the absorption of the probe field, it is demonstrated that the optical limiting is due to a reverse saturable absorption mechanism; indeed, analytical results show that this mechanism is based on a cross-Kerr optical nonlinearity induced by the tunneling. Additionally, the limiting properties of the system are studied by using a Z-scan technique.