X-ray laser without inversion in a three-level ladder system

Abstract

A scheme for obtaining laser in the deep x-ray regime is proposed based on the principle of gain without inversion. A ladder scheme is proposed in ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{+8}$ system. In this system, conventional lasing with population inversion has been obtained in a neonlike fashion. This lasing field is proposed for the drive field on the higher transition of the ladder. A coherent field obtained in the high harmonics ultrashort laser provides the probe field to be amplified. This will be selected to best match the frequency needed for the transition from lower level of the present x-ray lasing to the ground state. Numerical calculations in the bare state picture exhibit possible gain at resonance, and at the Rabi side bands, for appropriate choice of system parameters, i.e., the strength of the driving field, the strength of the incoherent pump that provides the required energy needed for the inversionless amplification and the deexcitation rate. The latter rate is detrimental to lasing as it increases. It is quite interesting to note that the system exhibits surprisingly high stability for gain without inversion even for quite high rate of the incoherent deexcitation processes. Real and imaginary parts of the coherences were also obtained for detuned drive and probe fields. These provide insight into the role played by the quantum interference. The present theoretical calculations give high confidence in the quantum interference process as a candidate for realizing very short wavelength laser.