Collisions of counterpropagating optical solitons

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSAB.8.001127· OSTI ID:5611709

Shaw, M J ^[1]; Shore, B W ^[2]

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1. Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis, Livermore, California 94550 (USA)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (USA)

We present numerical simulations of colliding counterpropagating solitons traversing a relaxation-free atomic vapor. The collisions produce appreciable spatially localized inversion of the atomic population, even in the case of colliding solitary 2{pi} hyperbolic-secant pulses. The energy deposited in the atoms and lost from the pulses determines the pulse widths, energies, and phase shifts of the postcollision pulses. This energy subsequently appears as fluorescence. We present results that illustrate the role of the residual atomic excitation energy on postcollisional solitary pulses. In addition, we show that for certain conditions a low-density medium is transparent to nonsolitary {pi} pulses.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5611709
• Journal Information: Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of the Optical Society of America, Part B: Optical Physics; (USA) Vol. 8:5; ISSN JOBPD; ISSN 0740-3224
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
ATOMS
COLLISIONS
FLUIDS
FLUORESCENCE
GASES
LUMINESCENCE
NONLINEAR OPTICS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OPTICS
PHASE SHIFT
POPULATION INVERSION
QUASI PARTICLES
SOLITONS
VAPORS