Doppler-broadened Atoms Research Articles

Electromagnetically induced absorption and transparency in a ladder-type atomic system with different dressing mechanisms

In a Doppler-broadened ladder-type Rubidium atomic system [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text], three-photon electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) and transparency (EIT) in two schemes of two coupling lasers with different propagation directions are comprehensively studied. Two coupling fields are entangled tightly with each other and induce constructive interference such that we observe EIA as two coupling fields are counter-propagating. Two coupling fields are independent and cause destructive interference such that only enhanced EIT occurs when two coupling fields are co-propagating, although all of the Doppler-broadened atoms satisfy the condition for three-photon resonance. The experimental results are coincided with the numerically calculated spectra using the dressed perturbation method. The mechanisms of EIT and EIA could also be understood by the dressed-state pictures.

Study of atomic coherence effects in multi-level V+Ξ system involving Rydberg state

We present theoretical model to investigate the influence of hyperfine levels on the atomic coherences of V+Ξ Rydberg system. Using density matrix formulation, an analytical expression of atomic coherence for weak probe field is derived. The closely spaced hyperfine levels cause asymmetry and red shift while wavelength mismatching induced due to Rydberg state leads to reduction in magnitude and broadening of group index, absorption and dispersion profiles for moving atoms. Our system shows both Rydberg Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) with subluminal behavior and Rydberg Electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) with superluminal propagation by adjusting the strengths of control and switching fields. Variation of group index with probe detuning reveals anomalous dispersion regions at Autler-Townes doublet positions. Group index for Doppler-broadened atoms at resonance condition has lower magnitude as compared to the stationary atoms and hence the group delay time of the pulse is also reduced. We also explore in-depth non-degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) which is ignited due to the presence of three electromagnetic (e.m.) fields and concurrently, establish relationship between FWM and multi-photon atomic coherence. The transient behavior is also studied for practical realization of our considered system as optical switch.

Single-photon superradiant beating from a Doppler-broadened ladder-type atomic ensemble

We report on heralded-single-photon superradiant beating in the spontaneous four-wave mixing process of Doppler-broadened ladder-type $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms. When Doppler-broadened atoms contribute to two-photon coherence, the detection probability amplitudes of the heralded single photons are coherently superposed despite inhomogeneous broadened atomic media. Single-photon superradiant beating is observed, which constitutes evidence for the coherent superposition of two-photon amplitudes from different velocity classes in the Doppler-broadened atomic ensemble. We present a theoretical model in which the single-photon superradiant beating originates from the interference between wavelength-separated two-photon amplitudes via the reabsorption filtering effect.

Ionization efficiency of Doppler-broadened atoms by transform-limited and broadband nanosecond pulses: one-photon resonant two-photon ionization of muoniums

We theoretically study the ionization efficiency of Doppler-broadened atoms through a one-photon resonant two-photon ionization process using nanosecond pump and ionizing laser pulses. Under the presence of significant (> tens of GHz) Doppler broadening, the bandwidth of the transform-limited nanosecond pump pulse is far smaller than the Doppler width, and the use of the broadband nanosecond pulse rather than the transform-limited nanosecond pulse seems to be much more efficient to pump and eventually ionize atoms. It turns out, however, that the transform-limited nanosecond pump pulse with sufficient high intensity can outperform the broadband nanosecond pump pulse in the high intensity regime for the ionizing pulse, at which the other broadening mechanisms because of the strong pump and fast ionization play more important roles than the bandwidth of the pump pulse. Using a set of density matrix equations, we present specific numerical results for muoniums (μ+e−) with enormous Doppler widths (80 and 230 GHz), which support the above argument.

Spin polarization of Doppler-broadened atoms by the broadband nanosecond and transform-limited picosecond laser pulses: case study for the muonium

We study the spin polarization of Doppler-broadened atoms by broadband nanosecond (ns) pulses, and compare the polarization efficiency with that by the transform-limited picosecond (ps) pulses that have the same spectral bandwidth. Specific calculations are performed for the case of muonium with a set of density matrix equations and with rate equations using the uncoupled basis states. We find that the polarization efficiency with the broadband ns laser pulses is rather good, although it is not as good as that with the transform-limited ps pulses. Our results imply that, depending on the available laser system, we can use either broadband ns or transform-limited ps laser pulses to polarize almost any Doppler-broadened atoms.

Selective optical pumping process in Doppler-broadened atoms

By solving the optical Bloch equations with the rate-equation approximation, we calculate the time dependence of the magnetic sublevel populations of Doppler-broadened atoms. With an increase of the left-circularly polarized pump intensity, the population fraction of a certain sublevel of the excited state almost reaches 0.3, resulting in anisotropy in the excited state, which is important to the optical filter based on circular birefringence and dichroism. Furthermore, numerical results show that the real saturation pump intensity for the moving atoms is much larger than that for the resting atoms.

Photon storage inΛ-type optically dense atomic media. III. Effects of inhomogeneous broadening

In a recent paper [Gorshkov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 123601 (2007)] and in the two preceding papers [Gorshkov et al., this issue, Phys. Rev. A 76, 033804 (2006); 76, 033805 (2006)], we used a universal physical picture to optimize and demonstrate equivalence between a wide range of techniques for storage and retrieval of photon wave packets in homogeneously broadened $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-type atomic media, including the adiabatic reduction of the photon group velocity, pulse-propagation control via off-resonant Raman techniques, and photon-echo-based techniques. In the present paper, we generalize this treatment to include inhomogeneous broadening. In particular, we consider the case of Doppler-broadened atoms and assume that there is a negligible difference between the Doppler shifts of the two optical transitions. In this situation, we show that, at high enough optical depth, all atoms contribute coherently to the storage process as if the medium were homogeneously broadened. We also discuss the effects of inhomogeneous broadening in solid state samples. In this context, we discuss the advantages and limitations of reversing the inhomogeneous broadening during the storage time, as well as suggest a way for achieving high efficiencies with a nonreversible inhomogeneous profile.