Collisions of Single-Cycle and Subcycle Attosecond Light Pulses in a Nonlinear Resonant Medium

Journal Article · Sun Apr 15 04:00:00 EDT 2018 · Optics and Spectroscopy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1134/S0030400X18040045· OSTI ID:22786424

Arkhipov, M. V. ^[1]; Pakhomov, A. V. ^[2]; Zhiguleva, D. O. ^[1]; Rosanov, N. N. ^[2]

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1. St. Petersburg State University (Russian Federation)
2. ITMO University (Russian Federation)

By numerically solving the system of Maxwell–Bloch equations, we have examined theoretically collisions of extremely short single-cycle and unipolar subcycle pulses in a nonlinear resonant medium under conditions that the light interacts coherently with the medium. The dynamics of the electric field of structures of light-induced polarization and inversion difference has been considered in the situation in which pulses are overlapped in the medium. We show that the states of the medium (to the right and to the left of the overlap region of the pulses) may differ. In particular, we show that polarization waves with different characteristics can exist in the regions of the medium that are located on opposite sides of the overlap region of the pulses. These waves travel in different directions and have different spatial frequencies.

• OSTI ID: 22786424
• Journal Information: Optics and Spectroscopy, Journal Name: Optics and Spectroscopy Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 124; ISSN 0030-400X; ISSN OPSUA3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COLLISIONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
MAXWELL EQUATIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PULSES
VISIBLE RADIATION