Anomalous two-photon spectral features in warm rubidium vapor

C. Perrella, P. S. Light, T. J. Milburn, D. Kielpinski, T. M. Stace, and A. N. Luiten

Phys. Rev. A 94, 033403 – Published 1 September 2016

Abstract

We report observation of anomalous fluorescence spectral features in the environs of a two-photon transition in a rubidium vapor when excited with two different wavelength lasers that are both counterpropagating through the vapor. These features are characterized by an unusual trade-off between the detunings of the driving fields. Three different hypothetical processes are presented to explain the observed spectra: a simultaneous three-atom and four-photon collision, a four-photon excitation involving a light field produced via amplified spontaneous emission, and population pumping perturbing the expected steady-state spectra. Numerical modeling of each hypothetical process is presented, supporting the population pumping process as the most plausible mechanism.

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Received 7 June 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.94.033403

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Laser spectroscopy Multiphoton or tunneling ionization & excitation Optical pumping Quantum description of light-matter interaction

Atomic gases Molecules

Optical spectroscopy Rotating wave approximation

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

C. Perrella¹, P. S. Light¹, T. J. Milburn^2,3,*, D. Kielpinski^4,5, T. M. Stace², and A. N. Luiten¹

¹Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and the School of Physical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
²ARC Centre for Engineered Quantum System, Department of Physics, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia
³Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Stadionallee 2, 1020 Vienna, Austria
⁴Centre for Quantum Dynamics and Australian Attosecond Science Facility, Griffith University, Nathan QLD 4111, Australia
⁵Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-Ray Science, Griffith University, Nathan QLD 4111, Australia

^*Deceased as of May 21, 2016.

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Vol. 94, Iss. 3 — September 2016

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