Elimination of Optical Self-Focusing by Population Trapping

Jain, Maneesh; Merriam, Andrew J.; Kasapi, A.; Yin, G. Y.; Harris, S. E.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.75.4385

Cited by 104 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Linear and nonlinear optical properties of an atomic medium can be modified by coherence and quantum interference that utilizes electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Because the vanishing linear absorption and large enhancement of nonlinear polarizability in an EIT medium, nonlinear optics may be studied at low light levels [9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Observation of absorptive photon switching by quantum interference

2001

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report an experimental demonstration of photon switching by quantum interference in a four-level atomic system proposed by Harris and Yamamoto (Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 3611 (1998)). Quantum interference inhibits single-photon absorption but enhances third-order, two-photon type absorption in the four-level system. We have observed greatly enhanced nonlinear absorption in the four-level system realized with cold 87 Rb atoms and demonstrated fast switching of the nonlinear absorption with a pulsed pump laser.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Observation of absorptive photon switching by quantum interference

2001

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Note that, at resonance, the dispersive nonlinearity is suppressed [23]. Since the denominator of the term Q in expression (10) is spatially modulated, the refractive index increases (decreases) at the spatial position of the peaks (troughs) of the intensity pattern.…”

Section: The Saturable Kerr Casementioning

confidence: 98%

“…In propagation, the elimination of self-focusing in Ã configurations of three-level atoms has been predicted and experimentally verified in Pb vapours [23]. More recent theoretical work has shown a wide variety of effects due to the self-action of laser radiation in this system [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Complex spatial structures due to atomic coherence

Oppo¹

2010

Journal of Modern Optics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The coupling of diffraction and optical coherence of a three-level medium in an optical cavity is considered. Self-organisation and pattern formation due to a combination of electromagnetically induced transparency, close-to-resonance Kerr effects and diffraction is demonstrated. Self-focusing in the peaks of the resulting Turing pattern leads to localised amplification of the input pump. Spatial dissipative solitons with controllable position, dispersion and coherence are also described

show abstract

“…Once the atoms are driven to this dark state, they are decoupled from the applied optical fields, and, hence, the high-intensity probe and coupling lasers maintain wave vectors equal to their vacuum values and propagate without loss or distortion. 6 This permits substantial resonant enhancement of the fourwave-mixing nonlinear optical susceptibilities that govern the generation of the upconverted radiation. The atomic coherence, r 12 , acts as a local oscillator and a third applied frequency beats against it to produce sum and difference frequencies.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient gas-phase generation of coherent vacuum ultraviolet radiation

et al. 1999

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We report the demonstration of a pulsed atomic lead (Pb) vapor-based vacuum ultraviolet frequency converter from 233 to 186 nm with unity photon-conversion eff iciency. This conversion is attained without phase matching. © 1999 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 190.2620, 190.4410, 270.1670, 020.1670 The techniques of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) can be employed to create a nonlinear response at a given wavelength that is equal in magnitude to the linear response at that wavelength. Physically, this allows frequency converters wherein unity photon-to-photon conversion occurs within a single coherence length, i.e., in that distance that causes a p phase slip between the driving polarization and the generated electromagnetic wave. These ideas were first implemented by Jain and co-workers 1 to convert 425 nm to 293 nm with an energy conversion efficiency of 40%, in a medium consisting of a single isotope of Pb. The enhancement of nonlinear optical processes using EIT has driven much recent theoretical 2 and experimental 3,4 work. This Letter reports the demonstration of a vaporphase vacuum ultraviolet frequency converter from 233 to 186 nm with unity photon conversion efficiency. Up to 300 mJ of 186 nm is generated, with a peak power of 25 kW.Our technique is this: two strong pulsed laser fields (MW͞cm 2 -class) are applied that are two-photon resonant with a Raman transition of the Pb atoms, as shown in the inset of Fig. 1. Similar to previous EIT work, 5 a 283-nm probe laser and a 406-nm coupling laser adiabatically drive all the atoms of the ensemble into a maximally coherent superposition of the ground and metastable states. Following the level designations of Fig. 1, maximal coherence of the Raman ͑j1͘ ! j2͒͘ transition is def ined as the condition in which the density matrix elements satisfy r 11 r 22 jr 12 j 1͞2. Once the atoms are driven to this dark state, they are decoupled from the applied optical fields, and, hence, the high-intensity probe and coupling lasers maintain wave vectors equal to their vacuum values and propagate without loss or distortion. 6This permits substantial resonant enhancement of the fourwave-mixing nonlinear optical susceptibilities that govern the generation of the upconverted radiation. The atomic coherence, r 12 , acts as a local oscillator and a third applied frequency beats against it to produce sum and difference frequencies. This frequency converter has the special property that, when the atoms of the ensemble are driven at maximal coherence, 100% of the input photons may be upconverted within a single coherence length, thus obviating the need to phase match the propagating beams.This experiment has been carried out in naturalabundance Pb metal at a density-length NL product of 1.5 3 10 17 atoms͞cm 2 , under conditions where the transmission of a resonant weak-probe 283-nm beam, if alone, would be approximately exp͑22 3 10 5 ͒. Natural abundance Pb consists of three isotopes, 24%206 Pb, 23%207 Pb, and 53% 208 Pb. Of the three, the 207 Pb isotope has a ...

show abstract

Elimination of Optical Self-Focusing by Population Trapping

Cited by 104 publications

References 18 publications

Observation of absorptive photon switching by quantum interference

Observation of absorptive photon switching by quantum interference

Complex spatial structures due to atomic coherence

Efficient gas-phase generation of coherent vacuum ultraviolet radiation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About