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arXiv:physics/0410192 · Physical Review A

Coherent control of ultrafast optical four-wave mixing with two-color ω−3ω laser pulses

Carles Serrat

Published Aug 9, 2005• 17 citations
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Abstract

A theoretical investigation on the coherent control of optical transient four-wave mixing interactions in two-level systems with two intense few-cycle propagating laser pulses of central angular frequencies $\ensuremath{\omega}$ and $3\ensuremath{\omega}$ is reported. By numerically solving the full Maxwell-Bloch equations beyond the slowly varying envelope and rotating-wave approximations in the time domain, the nonlinear coupling to the optical field at frequency $5\ensuremath{\omega}$ is found to depend critically on the initial relative phase $\ensuremath{\phi}$ of the propagating pulses: the coupling is enhanced when the pulses interfere constructively in the center $(\ensuremath{\phi}=0)$, while it is nearly suppressed when they are out of phase $(\ensuremath{\phi}=\ensuremath{\pi})$.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.72.023808

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A theoretical investigation on the coherent control of optical transient four-wave mixing interactions in two-level systems with two intense few-cycle propagating laser pulses of central angular frequencies \ensuremathω\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremathω and 3\ensuremathω3\ensuremath{\omega}3\ensuremathω is reported. By numerically solving the full Maxwell-Bloch equations beyond the slowly varying envelope and rotating-wave approximations in the time domain, the nonlinear coupling to the optical field at frequency 5\ensuremathω5\ensuremath{\omega}5\ensuremathω is found to depend critically on the initial relative phase \ensuremathϕ\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremathϕ of the propagating pulses: the coupling is enhanced when the pulses interfere constructively in the center (\ensuremathϕ=0)(\ensuremath{\phi}=0)(\ensuremathϕ=0), while it is nearly suppressed when they are out of phase (\ensuremathϕ=\ensuremathπ)(\ensuremath{\phi}=\ensuremath{\pi})(\ensuremathϕ=\ensuremathπ).
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A critical dependence of the quantum interference on the optical Stark spectral shift produced when two-color laser pulses interact with a two-level medium is observed. The four-wave mixing of two ultrashort phase-locked $\ensuremath{\omega}\text{\ensuremath{-}}3\ensuremath{\omega}$ laser pulses propagating coherently in a two-level system depends on the pulses' relative phase. The phase dominating the efficiency of the coupling to the anti-Stokes Raman component is found to be determined by the sign of the total ac Stark shift induced in the system, in such a way that the phase sensitivity disappears precisely where the ac Stark effect due to both pulses is compensated. A coherent control scheme based on this phenomenon can be contemplated as the basis for nonlinear optical spectroscopy techniques.