Scattering of Intense Light by a Two-Level System

Abstract

A general expression is found for the Green's function of a two-level system interacting with a classical monochromatic field of arbitrary frequency and intensity. The Green's function is first used to calculate the transition probability from the lower to the upper state as a function of the frequency and intensity of the field and a comparison of the results is made with experiment. It is then used to study the problem of scattering. It is found that the spectrum of the scattered radiation consists of a line at the frequency of the field (Rayleigh line) and two satellites symmetrically displaced from the Rayleigh line by an amount depending both on the intensity and frequency of the field. In addition there are emissions at three, five, etc., times the frequency of the field, and accompanying satellites. The cross sections for the production of the Rayleigh line and its satellites, and for the third-harmonic line and its satellites have been calculated for a range of values of the frequency and intensity of the incident field.