https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2008-00234-8
Phase control of maximal atomic coherence
1
College of Physical Science and Technology, Huanggang Normal University, 438000 Huanggang, Hubei, P.R. China
2
Department of Physics, Huazhong Normal University, 430079, Wuhan, P.R. China
Corresponding author: a xuqinghappy2003@yahoo.com.cn
Received:
22
July
2008
Revised:
15
October
2008
Published online:
12
December
2008
The atomic coherence in a three-level Λ atom is studied, in which each optical transition is driven by a coherent field and the metastable states are coupled to each other via a microwave field. It's shown that the atomic coherence crucially depends on the relative phase delay between the envelopes of the amplitudes of the three coupling fields. In particular, when the phase delay is adjusted to 0 or π, the maximal atomic coherence arises, while the maximal atomic coherence doesn't occur once the phase delay is changed to π/2. The maximal atomic coherence is attributed to the trapping of the population in the lower sublevels.
PACS: 42.50.Gy – Effects of atomic coherence on propagation, absorption, and amplification of light; electromagnetically induced transparency and absorption / 42.50.Hz – Strong-field excitation of optical transitions in quantum systems; multiphoton processes; dynamic Stark shift
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2009
