Two-Photon Raman Gain in a Laser Driven Potassium Vapor
Abstract
Atomic systems that display a linear or weakly nonlinear interaction with light are well known and well understood. However, when the interaction between light and matter becomes highly nonlinear and the light and matter strongly couple, the systems become much more difficult to understand both theoretically and experimentally. One example of a strongly coupled, highly nonlinear system is the two-photon laser that is based on the two-photon stimulated emission process. This laser has intrigued theorists and experimentalists alike. Research has been hindered, however, by the difficulties in constructing such a laser. Most two-photon gain media prove unsuitable due to small gain and the occurrence of destructive competing nonlinear effects. I have developed a new two-photon gain medium that overcomes these difficulties. It consists of a laser-driven potassium vapor in which the origin of the gain is due to the two-photon Raman scattering process. The two-photon gain feature is identified by performing spectroscopy of the laser-driven potassium vapor. To complement the experimental observations, I have developed a theoretical model of the two-photon Raman gain medium using the semi-classical density-matrix formalism. The predictions of the model are in qualitative agreement with the experimentally observed frequency- and intensity-dependence of the two-photon gain. I also describe a simplified rate-equation model of two-photon lasers through which I explore their steady-state and transient behavior. The model highlights the novel threshold behavior of two-photon lasers and the need to inject an external field to initiate lasing. This work, both theoretical and experimental, provides the first step toward a robust experimental realization of a two-photon laser.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA478150
Entities
People
- Hope M. Concannon
Organizations
- Duke University