Electro-optical effects in dense and cold atomic gases

Abstract

On the basis of the general theoretical approach developed previously by Fofanov et al. [Ya. A. Fofanov et al., Phys. Rev. A 84, 053811 (2011)], we analyze the atomic polarization created by weak monochromatic light in an optically thick, dense, and cold atomic ensemble placed in an electrostatic field. On this basis, we determine complex refractive indexes and the permittivity tensor of the medium. We analyze the dispersion of the permittivity and its dependence on the strength of the field and on the density of the medium. We show that electro-optic effects in dilute and cold gases differ essentially from those in dense ones. In the latter case, electric field modifies the shape, amplitude, and typical linewidth of the atomic resonance. The electric field also modifies the collective Lamb shift. Observed peculiarities are explained as a result of the indirect influence of the field on optical properties of dense gases through modification of polyatomic collective effects caused by interatomic dipole-dipole interactions.