Fluorescence in a Quantum System with Violated Symmetry

Abstract

The model of a single multilevel one-electron atom with violated symmetry such that its transition dipole-moment operator has constant diagonal matrix elements, among which not all are pairwise equal to each other, has been studied. It has been shown that the expression for the far electromagnetic field of such an atom does not contain any appreciable contributions from the diagonal matrix elements of the transition dipole moment in an explicit form; thus, these matrix elements have an effect on fluorescence via the time dependence of non-diagonal matrix elements due to quantum non-linear processes of higher orders. It has also been demonstrated that a two-level quantum system, whose transition dipole operator has constant unequal diagonal matrix elements, can continuously fluoresce under excitation with monochromatic laser radiation at a much lower frequency than the frequency of the exciting radiation. The possibility of the experimental detection and practical application of this effect are discussed.