ISSN 0869-6632 (Print)
ISSN 2542-1905 (Online)

For citation:

Mandel P. Laser without inversion: a useful concept?. Izvestiya VUZ. Applied Nonlinear Dynamics, 1995, vol. 3, iss. 6, pp. 7-23. DOI: 10.18500/0869-6632-1995-3-6-7-23

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0).
Full text PDF(Ru):
PDF icon 1995no6p007.pdf
(downloads: 0)
Language: 
Russian
Heading: 
Review of Actual Problems of Nonlinear Dynamics
Article type: 
Article
DOI: 
10.18500/0869-6632-1995-3-6-7-23

Laser without inversion: a useful concept?

Autors: 
Mandel Paul, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Abstract: 

The modern concept of amplification and laser generation of coherent light without inversion is considered in the context of the historical developments that led to the emergence of these ideas. The two main mechanisms of amplification without inversion and their theoretical formulation are discussed. A description of three experiments confirming the existence of these effects is given.

Key words: 
-
Acknowledgments: 
I would like to express my gratitude to Olga Kocharovskaya for her assistance in preparing some parts of this manuscript, and to P. Knight for his wise advice. This work was supported in part by the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium and the Interuniversity Attraction Pole program of the Belgian government.
Reference: 
  1. Agarwal GS. Inhibition of spontaneous emission noise in lasers without inversion. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1991;67(8):980-982. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.980.
  2. Agarwal GS. Origin of gain in systems without inversion in bare or dressed states. Phys. Rev. A. 1991;44(1):R28-R30. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.44.R28.
  3. Agarwal GS, Ravi S, Cooper J. dc-field-coupled autoionizing states for laser action without population inversion. Phys. Rev. A. 1990;41(9):4721-4726. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.41.4721.
  4. Agarwal GS, Ravi S, Cooper J. Lasers without inversion: Raman transitions using autoionizing resonances. Phys. Rev. А. 1990;41(9):4727-4731. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.41.4727.
  5. Alzetta G, Gozzini A, Moi L, Orriols G. An experimental method for the observation of r.f. transitions and laser beat resonances in oriented Na vapour. Il Nuovo Cim. B. 1976;36:5-20. DOI: 10.1007/BF02749417.
  6. Arimondo E, Orriols G. Nonabsorbing atomic coherences by coherent two-photon transitions in a three-level optical pumping. Lett. Nuovo Cimento. 1976;17:333-338. DOI: 10.1007/BF02746514.
  7. Arkhipkin VG, Heller YuI. Radiation amplification without population inversion at transitions to autoionizing states. Phys. Lett. A. 1983;98(1-2):12-14. DOI: 10.1016/0375-9601(83)90533-9.
  8. Bachau H, Lyras A, Lambropoulos P. On the possibility of radiation amplification through multiphoton pumping of autoionizing states. Opt. Commun. 1991;83(5-6):331-336. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90067-N.
  9. Bhanu Prasad G, Agarwal GS. Light amplification by coherence effects — a double resonance model for lasers without inversion. Opt. Commun. 1991;86(5):409-415. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90505-8.
  10. Boller K-J, Imamoglu A, Harris SE. Observation of electromagnetically induced transparency. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1991;66(20):2593-2596. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.2593.
  11. Basile S, Lambropoulos P. Radiation amplication without population inversion in discrete three-level systems. Optics Commun. 1990;78(2):163-168. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(90)90115-A.
  12. Bergou JA, Bogar Р. Quantum theory of a noninversion laser with injected atomic coherence. Phys. Rev. A. 1991;43(9):4889-4900. DOI: 10.1103/physreva.43.4889.
  13. Block VR, Krochic GМ. Theory of lasers without inversion. Phys. Rev. A. 1990;41(3):1517-1525. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.41.1517.
  14. Block VR, Krochic GМ. Lasing without inversion: Theory of transient behavior. Phys. Rev. A. 1991;44(3):2036-2039. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.44.2036.
  15. Block VR, Krochic GМ. Transient theory of lasing without inversion and nonlinear response of split microwave transition. Opt. Commun. 1991;82(3-4):309-313. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90465-P.
  16. Cohen-Tannoudji C, Reynaud S. Modification of resonance Raman scattering in very intense laser fields. J.Phys. В: Atom. Mol. Phys. 1977;10(3):365-383. DOI: 10.1088/0022-3700/10/3/006.
  17. Cohen-Tannoudji C, Zambon B, Arimondo Е. Quantum-jump approach to dissipative processes: application to amplification without inversion. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B. 1993;10(11):2107-2120. DOI: 10.1364/JOSAB.10.002107.
  18. Dimov SS, Pavlov LI, Stamenov KV, Heller Yul, Popov АК. Laser-induced nonlinear resonances in the continuum at third-harmonic generation in Na vapor. Appl. Phys. В. 1983;30(1):35-40. DOI: 10.1007/BF00692656.
  19. Doss НМ, Narducci LM, Scully МО, Gao J. Theoretical analysis of a four-level laser without inversion driven by a pulsed Raman field. Opt. Commun. 1993;95(1-3):57-63. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(93)90049-B.
  20. Dowling JP, Bowden CM. Near dipole-dipole effects in lasing without inversion: An enhancement of gain and absorptionless index of refraction. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1993;70(10):1421-1424. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.1421.
  21. Fano U. Effects of Configuration Interaction on Intensities and Phase Shifts. Phys. Rev. 1961;124(6):1866-1878. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRev.124.1866.
  22. Fano U, Cooper JW. Spectral Distribution of Atomic Oscillator Strengths. Rev. Mod. Phys. 1968;40(3):441-507. DOI: 10.1103/RevModPhys.40.441.
  23. Fearn H, Keitel C, Scully MO, Zhu S-Y. Lasing without inversion in a simple model of a three-level laser with microwave coupling. Opt. Commun. 1992;87(5-6):323-330. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(92)90479-B.
  24. Field JF, Hahn KH, Harris SE. Observation of electromagnetically induced transparency in collisionally broadened lead vapor. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1991;67(22):3062-3065. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.3062.
  25. Fill EE, Scully MO, Zhu SY.  Lasing without inversion via the lambda quantum-beat laser in the collision-dominated regime.
  26. Optics Commun. 1990;77(1):36-40. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(90)90456-4.
  27. Fleischhauer M, Keitel CH, Narducci LM, Scully MO, Zhu SY, Zubairy MS. Lasing without inversion: interference of radiatively broadened resonances in dressed atomic systems. Optics Commun. 1992;94(6):599-608. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(92)90609-U.
  28. Fleischhauer M, Keitel CH, Scully MO, Su С. Lasing without inversion and enhancement of the index of refraction via interference of incoherent pump processes. Opt. Commun. 1992;87(3):109-114. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(92)90389-9.
  29. Fry ES, Li X , Nikonov D, Padmabandu GG, Scully MO, Smith AV, Tittel FК, Wang C, Wilkinson SR, Zhu SY. Atomic coherence effects within the sodium D1 line: Lasing without inversion via population trapping. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1993;70(21):3235-3238. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.3235.
  30. Gao J, Guo C, Guo X, Jin G, Wang P, Zhao J, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Wang D, Jiang D. Observation of light amplification without population inversion in sodium. Opt. Commun. 1992;93(5-6):323-327. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(92)90193-U.
  31. Gheri KM, Walls DF. Squeezed lasing without inversion or light amplification by coherence. Phys. Rev. А. 1992;45(9):6675-6686. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.6675.
  32. Gray HR, Whitley RM, Stroud CR. Coherent trapping of atomic populations. Optics Lett. 1978;3(6):218-220. DOI: 10.1364/OL.3.000218.
  33. Grandclement D, Grynbers G, Pinard M. Observation of continuous-wave self-oscillation due to pressure-induced two-wave mixing in sodium. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1987;59(1):40-43. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.40.
  34. Haken H. Laser Theory. Berlin: Springer; 1984. 322 p. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-45556-8.
  35. Hakuta K, Marmet L, Stoicheff BP. Electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation with reduced absorption in atomic hydrogen. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1991;66(5):595-599. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.596.
  36. Harris SE. Lasers without inversion: Interference of lifetime-broadened resonances. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1989;62(9):1033-1036. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.1033.
  37. Harris SE. Electromagnetically induced transparency with matched pulses. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1993;70(5):552-555. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.552.
  38. Harris SE, Field JE, Kasapi А. Dispersive properties of electromagnetically induced transparency. Phys. Rev. А. 1992;46(1):R29-R32. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.46.R29.
  39. Harris SE, Macklin JJ. Lasers without inversion: Single-atom transient response. Phys. Rev. A. 1989;40(7):4135-4137. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.40.4135.
  40. Heller Yul, Popov АК. Parametric generation and absorption of tunable vacuum-ultraviolet radiation controlled by laser-induced autoionizing-like resonances in the continuum. Optics Commun. 1976;18(4):449-451. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(76)90293-5.
  41. Heller YuI, Lukinykh VF, Popov AK, Slabko VV. Experimental evidence for a laser-induced autoionizing-like resonance in the continuum. Phys. Lett. A. 1981;82(1):4-6. DOI: 10.1016/0375-9601(81)90385-6.
  42. Holt H. Gain without population inversion in two-level atoms. Phys. Rev. A. 1977;16(3):1136-1140. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.16.1136.
  43. Yoo HI, Eberly JH. Dynamical theory of an atom with two or three levels interacting with quantized cavity fields. Phys. Rep. 1985;118(5):239-337. DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(85)90015-8.
  44. Imamoglu A. Interference of radiatively broadened resonances. Phys. Rev. A. 1989;40(5):2835-2838. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.40.2835.
  45. Imamoglu A, Field JE, Harris SE. Lasers without inversion: A closed lifetime broadened system. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1991;66(9):1154-1156. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.1154.
  46. Imamoglu A, Harris ST. Lasers without inversion: interference of dressed lifetime-broadened states. Optics Lett. 1989;14(24):1344-1346. DOI: 10.1364/OL.14.001344.
  47. Jain M, Yin GY, Field JE, Harris SE. Observation of electromagnetically induced phase matching. Optics Lett. 1993;18(12):998-1000. DOI: 10.1364/OL.18.000998.
  48. Karawajczyk A, Zakrewski J, Gawlik W. Dressed-atom model of lasing without inversion in the double-\ensuremath{\Lambda} configuration. Phys. Rev. А. 1992;45(1):420-423. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.420.
  49. Khanin YaI, Kocharovskaya О. Inversionless amplification of ultrashort pulses and coherent population trapping in a three-level medium. J. Opt. Soc. Am. B. 1990;7(10):2016-2024. DOI: 10.1364/JOSAB.7.002016.
  50. Khitrova G, Valley GF, Gibbs НМ. Gain-feedback approach to optical instabilities in sodium vapor. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1988;60(12):1126-1129. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.1126.
  51. Knight PL, Lauder MA, Dalton ВJ. Laser-induced continuum structure. Phys. Rер. 1990;190(1):1-61. DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(90)90089-K.
  52. Knight PL, Milonni PW. The Rabi frequency in optical spectra. Phys. Rep. 1980;66(2):21-107. DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(80)90119-2.
  53. Kocharovskaya О. Amplification and lasing without inversion. Phys. Rep. 1992;219(3-6):175-190. DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(92)90135-M.
  54. Kocharovskaya O, Tsaregradsky VB. Features of stationary maser generation in the case of polarising pumping. Radiophys. Quantum Electron. 1984;27(4):532-535. (in Russian).
  55. Kocharovskaya O, Khanin Yal. Population trapping and coherent bleaching of a three-level medium by a periodic train of ultrashort pulses. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 1986;63(5):945-950.
  56. Kocharovskaya O, Khanin Yal. Coherent amplification of an ultrashort pulse in a three-level medium without a population inversion. JETP Lett. 1988;48(11):630-634.
  57. Kocharovskaya O, Khanin Yal. Light Amplification by a Three-Level Atomic System Without Population Inversion. In: Gaponov-Grekhov АМ, Rabinovich MI, Engelbrecht J, editors. Nonlinear Waves 3. Proceedings of Gorky School on Nonlinear Physics. Berlin: Springer; 1990. P. 162-168. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-75308-4_15.
  58. Kocharovskaya O, Mandel Р. Frequency up-conversion in a three-level medium without inversion. Optics Commun. 1991;84(3-4):179-183. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90224-2.
  59. Kocharovskaya O, Li R-D, Mandel P. Lasing without inversion: The double Λ scheme. Optics Commun. 1990;77(2-3):215-220. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(90)90437-X.
  60. Kocharovskaya O, Mandel P. Amplification without inversion: The double Λ scheme. Phys. Rev. A. 1990;42(1):523-535. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.42.523.
  61. Kocharovskaya O, Mandel P, Khanin Yal. Lasers without population inversion. Bulletin of the USSR Academy of Sciences: Physics. 1990;54(10):1979-1987.
  62. Kocharovskava O, Mandel P, Khanin Yal. Amplification without population inversion. In: Transverse Patterns in Nonlinear Optics. Proceedings of the SPIE. 1992 Vol.1840. P. 268-279. DOI: 10.1117/12.131820.
  63. Kocharovskaya O, Mandel P, Radeonychev YV. Inversionless amplification in a three-level medium. Phys.Rev. A. 1992;45(3):1997-2005. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.1997.
  64. Kocharovskaya O, Mauri F, Arimondo Е. Laser without population inversion and coherent trapping. Optics Commun. 1991;84(5-6):393-400. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90108-P.
  65. Lezama A, Zhu Y, Kanskar M, Mossberg ТW. Radiative emission of driven two-level atoms into the modes of an enclosing optical cavity: The transition from fluorescence to lasing. Phys. Rev. A. 1990;41(3):1576-1581. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.41.1576.
  66. Lu N. The coherently pumped laser: The simplest system for lasers without inversion. Optics Commun. 1989;73(6):479-483. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(89)90466-5.
  67. Luo ZF, Хu ZZ. Lasing without inversion and inversion without lasing in the same energy-level system. Phys. Lett. A. 1992;169(5):389-392. DOI: 10.1016/0375-9601(92)90245-H.
  68. Luo ZF, Хu ZZ. Lasing without inversion and coherence in dressed states. Phys. Rev. A. 1992;45(11):8292-8294. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.8292.
  69. Lyras A, Tang X, Lambropoulos P, Zhang J. Radiation amplification through autoionizing resonances without population inversion. Phys. Rev. А. 1989;40(7):4131-4134. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.40.4131.
  70. Manka AS, Keitel CH, Zhu SY, Fleischhauer M, Narducci LM, Scully МО. Quantum theory of laser emission from driven three-level atoms. Optics Commun. 1992;94(1-3):174-182. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(92)90426-R.
  71. Mandel P. In: Harrison RG, editor. Nonlinear Dynamics and Spatial Complexity in Optical Systems. Proceedings of the 41st Scottish Universities Summer Scool in Physics.
  72. Mandel P, Kocharovskaya О. In: Vilaseca R, Corbalan R, editors. Nonlinear Dynamics and Quantum Phenomena in Optical Systems. Berlin:Springer; 1992. P.109
  73. Mandel P, Kocharovskaya О. Inversionless amplification of a monochromatic field by a three-level medium. Phys. Rev. А. 1992;46(5):2700-2706. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.46.2700.
  74. Mandel P, Kocharovskaya O. Inversionless amplification in a multilevel system. Phys. Rev. A. 1993;47(6):5003-5008. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.47.5003.
  75. Marcuse D. Maser action without population inversion. Proc. IEEE. 1963;51(5):849-850. DOI: 10.1109/PROC.1963.2282.
  76. Narducci LM, Doss HM, Ru P, Scully MO, Zhu S-Y, Keitel С. A simple model of a laser without inversion. Optics Commun. 1991;81(6):379-384. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90602-A.
  77. Narducci LM, Scully MO, Keitel CH, Zhu S-Y, Doss HM. Physical origin of the gain in a four-level model of a Raman driven laser without inversion. Optics Commun. 1991;86(3-4):324-332. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(91)90013-4.
  78. Nottelmann A, Peters C, Lange W. Inversionless amplification of picosecond pulses due to Zeeman coherence. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1993;70(12):1783 - 1786. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.1783.
  79. Orszag M, Zhu SY, Bergou J, Scully МО. Noise reduction, lasing without inversion, and pump statistics in coherently prepared \ensuremath{\lambda} quantum-beat media. Phys. Rev. А. 1992;45(7):4872-4878. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.4872.
  80. Popova TYa, Popov AK, Rautian SG, Sokoloskii RI. Nonlinear Interference Effects in Emission, Absorption, and Generation Spectra. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 1970;30(3):466-472.
  81. Popova TYa, Popov АК. Effect of resonance radiative processes on the amplification factor. J. Appl. Spectrosc. 1970;12:734-737. DOI: 10.1007/BF00609204.
  82. Rautian SG, Sobelman II. Line Shape and Dispersion in the Vicinity of an Absorption Band, as Affected by Induced Transitions. Soviet Phys. JETP. 1962;14(2):328-333.
  83. Sargent M, Scully MO, Lamb WE(Jr). Laser Physics. Reading:
  84. Addison-Wesley; 1974. 432 p.
  85. Scully МО. Enhancement of the index of refraction via quantum coherence. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1991;67(14):1855-1858. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.1855.
  86. Scully МО. From lasers and masers to phaseonium and phasers.  Phys. Rep. 1992;219(3-6):191-201. DOI: 10.1016/0370-1573(92)90136-N.
  87. Scully MO, Zhu SY, Gavrielides A. Degenerate quantum-beat laser: Lasing without inversion and inversion without lasing. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1989;62(24):2813-2816. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.2813.
  88. Scully MO, Zhu. SY, Narducci L, Fearn Н. Gain and threshold in noninversion lasers. Optics Commun. 1992;88(2-3):240-248. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4018(92)90514-R.
  89. Tan W, Lu W, Harrison ВС. Lasing without inversion in a V system due to trapping of modified atomic states. Phys. Rev. A. 1992;46(7):R3613-R3616. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.46.R3613.
  90. van der Veer WE, van Diest RJ, Donszelmann A, van Linden van den Heuvel HB. Experimental demonstration of light amplification without population inversion.  Phys. Rev. Lett. 1993;70(21):3243-3246. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.3243.
  91. Wu FY, Ezekiel S, Ducloy M, Mollow ВК. Observation of Amplification in a Strongly Driven Two-Level Atomic System at Optical Frequencies. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1977;38(19):1077-1080. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.38.1077.
  92. Zambon В. Principle of inversion in atomic systems subjected to multiple coherent fields. Phys. Rev. А. 1993;47(1):R38-R41. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.47.R38.
  93. Zelikovich IS, Pulkin SA, Gaida LS. Opt. Spectrosk. 1987;62:1401.
  94. Zelikovich IS, Pulkin SA, Gaida LS, Komar VN. Susceptibility spectrum and parametric generation in an atomic vapor in a resonant light field. J. Exp. Theor. Phys. 1988;67(6(12)):2434-2441.
  95. Zhu S-Y. Nonlinear theory of the degenerate quantum-beat laser: Lasing without inversion. Phys. Rev. A. 1990;42(9):5537-5543. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.42.5537.
  96. Zhu S-Y. Lasing without inversion in a closed three-level system. Phys. Rev. A. 1992;45(9):R6149-R152. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.R6149.
  97. Zhu S-Y, Fill ЕЕ. Nonlinear theory of lasers without inversion with two upper lasing levels. Phys. Rev. A. 1990;42(9):5684-5688. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.42.5684.
Received: 
22.01.1996
Accepted: 
18.06.1996
Published: 
21.11.1996
  • 335 reads