Density matrix descriptions for electromagnetically induced transparency and related pump-probe optical phenomena in moving atomic systems

Abstract

Reduced density matrix descriptions are developed for linear and non-linear electromagnetic interactions of moving atomic systems, taking into account applied magnetic fields as well as atomic collisions together with other environmental decoherence and relaxation processes. Applications of interest include electromagnetically induced transparency and related pump-probe optical phenomena in warm atomic vapors. Time-domain (equation-of-motion) and frequency-domain (resolvent-operator) formulations are developed in a unified manner. The standard Born (lowestorder perturbation-theory) and Markov (short-memory-time) approximations are systematically introduced within the framework of the general non-perturbative and non-Markovian formulations. A preliminary semiclassical treatment of the electromagnetic interaction is adopted. However, the need for a fully quantum mechanical approach is emphasized. Compact Liouville-space operator expressions are derived for the linear and the general (n'th order) non-linear macroscopic electromagnetic-response tensors occurring in a perturbation-theory treatment of the semiclassical electromagnetic interaction. These expressions can be evaluated for coherent initial atomic excitations and for the full tetradic-matrix form of the Liouville-space self-energy operator representing the environmental interactions in the Markov approximation. Collisional interactions between atoms can be treated in various approximations for the selfenergy operator, and the influence of Zeeman coherences on the macroscopic electromagnetic response can be investigated.