Nonclassical single-atom radiation generators

Herbert Walther

doi:10.1117/12.22121

1 July 1990 Nonclassical single-atom radiation generators

Herbert Walther

Proceedings Volume 1319, Optics in Complex Systems; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.22121
Event: 15th International Optics in Complex Systems, 1990, Garmisch, Germany

Abstract

In this contribution quantum-effects in the radiation-atom interaction will be reviewed. It is well known that most of the phenomena involving laser light can be described by semi-classical methods however phenomena such as laser noise the spectra and photon statistics of resonance fluorescence and the interaction of atoms in the single-atom maser require a quantization of the radiation field. In this paper we will describe results on the latter two effects. We will start with the discussion of resonance fluorescence. 1. RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE The resonant interaction of laser light with atomic systems has received considerable theoretical and experimental attention over the past decade. Until the advent of the laser light sources for spectroscopy consisted of ordinary spectral lamps excited by DC or RF discharges and produced light having a very broad spectral width and hence very short correlation time and a relatively low intensity. For such fields both the experimental and theoretical results are in general well understood. However the development of the laser made available light sources which are sufficiently intense that an atomic (or molecular) transition can be very easily saturated. In addition the lasers are highly monochromatic having a coherence time much greater than typical natural lifetimes of excited atomic states and finally tunable making it possible to selectively excite particular atomic transitions. The theoretical analysis of this physical situation requires the use of techniques more general than

Citation Download Citation

Herbert Walther "Nonclassical single-atom radiation generators", Proc. SPIE 1319, Optics in Complex Systems, (1 July 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.22121

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