Control of population and atomic coherence by adiabatic rapid passage and optimization of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering signal by maximal coherence

Abstract

Robust control of atomic coherence and population transfer among Zeeman sublevels in the ground states of rubidium atom is investigated using adiabatic rapid passage in a nanosecond time scale, which is smaller than the lifetime of first excited Rb. It is shown that a slight change in the pump pulse time delay relative to the Stokes pulse leads to a significant modification of atomic coherence and population transfer, consequently having remarkable impacts on the generation of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) signal and probe pulse absorption. This coherent control of quantum state and population is presented by numerical simulations based on self-consistent set of density matrix equations and Maxwell equations as well as experimental demonstration in rubidium atom with different atomic densities. Experimental observations are in good agreement with numerical calculations.