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arXiv:quant-ph/0207087 · Physical Review A

Phase-dependent interaction in a four-level atomic configuration

Giovanna Morigi, Sonja Franke‐Arnold, Gian‐Luca Oppo

Published Nov 18, 2002• 103 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We study a four-level atomic scheme interacting with four lasers in a closed-loop configuration with a $\ensuremath{\diamond}$ (diamond) geometry. We investigate the influence of the laser phases on the steady state. We show that, depending on the phases and the decay characteristic, the system can exhibit a variety of behaviors, including population inversion and complete depletion of an atomic state. We explain the phenomena in terms of multiphoton interference, and compare our results with the phase-dependent phenomena in the double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ scheme. This investigation may be useful for developing nonlinear optical devices, and for the spectroscopy and laser cooling of alkali-earth atoms.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.66.053409

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Communications in Theoretical Physics•May 1, 2007•0 citations
We study a four-level atomic scheme interacting with four lasers in a closed-loop configuration with a \ensuremath⋄\ensuremath{\diamond}\ensuremath⋄ (diamond) geometry. We investigate the influence of the laser phases on the steady state. We show that, depending on the phases and the decay characteristic, the system can exhibit a variety of behaviors, including population inversion and complete depletion of an atomic state. We explain the phenomena in terms of multiphoton interference, and compare our results with the phase-dependent phenomena in the double-\ensuremathΛ\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremathΛ scheme. This investigation may be useful for developing nonlinear optical devices, and for the spectroscopy and laser cooling of alkali-earth atoms.
This study investigates the phase-dependent behaviour of the four-level closed-loop atomic diamond configuration. A ground state is quasi-resonantly coupled to two intermediate states which are themselves coupled to an excited state. Transitions between any two states occur via two alternative paths. The interference between these transition amplitudes can be constructive or destructive, depending on the relative phase between the excitation amplitudes. As a consequence also the population as well as the one- and two-photon coherences are periodic functions of the relative phase. This phase in general comprises the wavevector mismatch, the two-photon detuning, the initial laser phases and the individual atomic-dipole phases. In this paper, the authors concentrate on the steady state solutions for the case of two-photon resonance. The behaviour of the system is determined by the concurrence of the phase-dependent Hamiltonian dynamics and the relaxation processes.
Atomic coherence and interference manifested by electromagentically induced transparency (EIT) and coherent population trapping (CPT) plays an important role in the current studies of atom-photon interactions and has found numerous applications in optical physics. EIT is created in a three-level atomic system by a coupling field and results in destructive interference between two excitation paths of a weak probe laser interacting with the atomic medium. This leads to suppressed linear absorption and rapidly varying atomic dispersion for the probe laser near the atomic resonance, which provides the platform for a variety of applications such as nonlinear optics at low light levels, slow light manipulation, and quantum state engineering for photons and atoms. Here we extend the simple three-level EIT system to more complicated and versatile configurations in a multi-level atomic system coupled by multiple laser fields. We show that with multiple excitation paths provided by different laser fields, phase-dependent quantum interference is induced: either constructive or destructive interference can be realized by varying the relative phases among the laser fields. Two specific examples are discussed. One is a three-level system coupled by bichromatic coupling and probe fields, in which the phase dependent interference between the resonant two-photon Raman transitions can be initiated and controlled. Another is a four-level system coupled by two coupling fields and two probe fields, in which a double-EIT configuration is created by the phase-dependent interference between three-photon and one-photon excitation processes. We analyze the coherently coupled multi-level atomic system and discuss the control parameters for the onset of constructive or destructive quantum interference. We describe two experiments performed with cold Rb atoms that can be approximately treated as the coherently coupled three-level and four-level atomic systems respectively. The experimental results show the phase-dependent quantum coherence and interference in the multi-level Rb atomic system, and agree with the theoretical calculations based on the coherently coupled three-level or four-level model system.
We present a theory of a continuous-wave light propagation in a medium of atoms with a double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ configuration of levels. This is a configuration with a closed cycle of radiation-induced transitions. An interference of excitation channels in such closed-loop systems leads to a strong dependence of the atomic state on the relative phase and the relative amplitudes of applied electromagnetic waves. Therefore, the medium response may be controlled by the phases. On the other hand, the phases themselves change during the propagation. Thus the state of the medium and all the field parameters are tightly coupled to each other in the present problem. We consider the propagation of four-frequency laser radiation through the double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ medium for two situations. At resonant or near-resonant excitation of atoms, both the medium and the field evolve into a nonabsorbing state. This state implies specific coherent superposition for atoms (``dark state''), and particular relations for the field phases, amplitudes, and frequencies. In this way, the propagation results in the phase, amplitude, and frequency matching of the laser waves. In the second case, one $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ system in double-$\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ atoms is excited resonantly, while the second $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ system is far off resonance. Such an excitation scheme ensures the preparation of atoms in the nearly dark state throughout the medium. Therefore, the total light energy is dissipated very weakly, whereas each individual laser wave can vary considerably along the propagation path. We have found that the resonant fields change as much as the far-detuned ones. The intensities oscillate sinusoidally with the optical length, with the energy being transferred back and forth between two waves in each frequency pair, resonant and far detuned. This gives the possibility for an almost lossless amplification of two of the laser waves, or an even generation of one of them.
We study a double-Λ atomic scheme that interacts with four laser light beams so that a closed loop of radiation-induced transitions is formed. When specific relations for field phases, frequencies and amplitudes are satisfied, coherent superpositions (the so-called ‘dark states’) can be formed in a double-Λ, which leads to the well-known effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). If the interaction scheme in a double-Λ system is such that a closed loop is formed, the relative phase of the laser light fields becomes very important. We analyze here the effect of the lasers' relative phase on the EIT in double-Λ configuration of levels. The theoretical study of interactions of lasers with a double-Λ atomic scheme is commonly conducted by solving the optical Bloch equations (OBEs). We use here a perturbative method for solving OBEs, where the interaction of lasers with double-Λ is considered a perturbation. An advantage of the perturbative method is that it generally produces simpler solutions, and analytical expressions can be obtained. We present analytical expressions for the lower-order corrections of the EIT signal. Our results show that the EIT by the perturbative method can be approximated by the sum of products of complex Lorentzians. Through these expressions, we see in what way the relative phase affects the overall EIT profile.
We theoretically investigate the features of two-photon absorption in a coherently driven four-level atomic system with closed-loop configuration. It is found that two-photon absorption can be completely suppressed just by properly adjusting the relative phase of four coherent low-intensity driving fields and the atomic system becomes transparent against two-photon absorption. From a physical point of view, we explicitly explain these results in terms of quantum interference induced by two different two-photon excitation channels.