Carrier-Envelope Phase Effect on Atomic Excitation by Few-Cycle rf Pulses

Journal Article · Fri Mar 12 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.104.103001· OSTI ID:21386843

Hebin, Li; Welch, George R ^[1]; Sautenkov, Vladimir A ^[1]; Rostovtsev, Yuri V ^[1]; Kash, Michael M ^[1]; Anisimov, Petr M ^[2]; Scully, Marlan O ^[1]

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1. Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and Department of Physics, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States)
2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803 (United States)

We present an experimental and theoretical study of the carrier-envelope phase effects on population transfer between two bound atomic states interacting with intense ultrashort pulses. Radio frequency pulses are used to transfer population among the ground state hyperfine levels in rubidium atoms. These pulses are only a few cycles in duration and have Rabi frequencies of the order of the carrier frequency. The phase difference between the carrier and the envelope of the pulses has a significant effect on the excitation of atomic coherence and population transfer. We provide a theoretical description of this phenomenon using density matrix equations. We discuss the implications and possible applications of our results.

• OSTI ID: 21386843
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 104; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
ATOMS
CARRIERS
DENSITY MATRIX
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
GROUND STATES
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE
MATRICES
METALS
PHASE STUDIES
PULSES
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
RUBIDIUM