Resonance Fluorescence
Resonance Fluorescence is the incoherent light emission (fluorescence) from a system that is being excited at the same frequency than the one at which it naturally emits (resonance).
The problem can be broadly broken into two regimes of excitation, that give rise to a completely different phenomenology:
- Heitler scattering at low driving.
- Mollow triplet at high driving.
It is a fundamental problem of great interest to us, for which we are trying to establish a comprehensive timeline. We have been particularly interested in the following aspects of the problem:
- Two-photon physics of resonance fluorescence — The two-level system is actually a rich multiphoton source.[1]
- Asymmetries in resonance fluorescence — The power spectrum exhibits peculiar symmetries, which can be broken in a variety of ways.
- Transients in resonance fluorescence — Phenomena that occur before the steady state is established.
Simplest as possible, not simpler
The problem is particularly attractive because it is probably the simplest possible, yet highly nontrivial, quantum-mechanical problem, as it can be described with a two-level system. In the words of Kimble and Mandel[2]:
Most interesting phenomenon
One of the more interesting developments in recent years is the possibility of observing the fluorescent light emitted by a single confined atomic ion.
Systems
- Localized visible Ba$^+$ mono-ion oscillator. W. Neuhauser, M. Hohenstatt, P. E. Toschek and H. Dehmelt in Phys. Rev. A 22:1137 (1980). With a single confined atomic ion, see also [1].
- Resonance Fluorescence from a Coherently Driven Semiconductor Quantum Dot in a Cavity. A. Muller, E. B. Flagg, P. Bianucci, X. Y. Wang, D. G. Deppe, W. Ma, J. Zhang, G. J. Salamo, M. Xiao and C. K. Shih in Phys. Rev. Lett. 99:187402 (2007). With a self-assembled single quantum dot.
- Efficient coupling of photons to a single molecule and the observation of its resonance fluorescence. G. Wrigge, I. Gerhardt, J. Hwang, G. Zumofen and V. Sandoghdar in Nature Phys. 4:60 (2008). With a single molecule.
- Resonance Fluorescence of a Single Artificial Atom. O. Astafiev, A. M. Zagoskin, A. A. Abdumalikov Jr., Yu. A. Pashkin, T. Yamamoto, K. Inomata, Y. Nakamura and J. S. Tsai in Science 327:840 (2010). With a superconducting qubit.
Description
Here are how various people have described the process:
The phenomenon of resonance fluorescence arises with the illumination of an atomic dipole transition by resonant radiation and appears as scattering from the incident beam into other modes of the radiation field.
Quantum jumps
H. Dehmelt introduced the idea of shelving in the V type configuration,[3] which suggested the possibility to observe single quantum jumps by quenching strong signal with one isolated transition to the shelf. This is a remarkable effect because a single quantum event (the jump) results in macroscopically observable consequences (the resonance signal can be seen directly [with a microscope]). The theory was developed by Cook and Kimble[4]. While initially this did not involve coherent excitation, the problem quickly became associated to resonance fluorescence.
Three essentially simultaneous works (Dehmelt first, though) by Nagourney et al.[5], Sauter et al.[6] and Bergquist et al.[7] reported the effect experimentally, with a single ion in a trap. This involved laser cooling but the main idea is to drive a strong (dominant) transition in a V configuration (one ground state, two excited states). This produces a random on/off "telegraphic" signal, which provides a direct indication of the quantum state of the ion. A rate equation model provides the distribution of dwell times in the on and off states, which is exponential. A nice account is given by Erber and Putterman[8].
Leading literature of the time includes Refs. [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14] and [15].
See also
References
- ↑ Two photons everywhere. E. Zubizarreta Casalengua, F. P. Laussy and E. del Valle in Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 382:20230315 (2024).
- ↑ Theory of resonance fluorescence. H. J. Kimble and L. Mandel in Phys. Rev. A 13:2123 (1976).
- ↑ Proposed ${10}^{14}\Delta\nu < \nu$ Laser Fluorescence Spectroscopy on $\text{Tl}^+$ Mono-Ion Oscillator II (spontaneous quantum jumps). H. G. Dehmelt in Bull. Amer. Phys. Soc. 20:60 (1975).
- ↑ Possibility of Direct Observation of Quantum Jumps. R. Cook and H. Kimble in Phys. Rev. Lett. 54:1023 (1985).
- ↑ Shelved optical electron amplifier: Observation of quantum jumps. W. Nagourney, J. Sandberg and H. Dehmelt in Phys. Rev. Lett. 56:2797 (1986).
- ↑ Observation of Quantum Jumps. T. Sauter, W. Neuhauser, R. Blatt and P. Toschek in Phys. Rev. Lett. 57:1696 (1986).
- ↑ Observation of Quantum Jumps in a Single Atom. J. C. Bergquist, R. G. Hulet, W. M. Itano and D. J. Wineland in Phys. Rev. Lett. 57:1699 (1986).
- ↑ Randomness in quantum mechanics—nature's ultimate cryptogram?. T. Erber and S. Putterman in Nature 318:41 (1985).
- ↑ Intermittent atomic fluorescence. H. Kimble, R. Cook and A. Wells in Phys. Rev. A 34:3190 (1986).
- ↑ Quantum Jumps in a Three-Level System?. J. Javanainen in Phys. Scr. 67:T12 (1986).
- ↑ Possibility of quantum jumps in a three-level system. J. Javanainen in Phys. Rev. A 33:2121 (1986).
- ↑ Macroscopic quantum jumps in a single atom. A. Schenzle and R. G. Brewer in Phys. Rev. A 34:3127 (1986).
- ↑ Possibility of quantum jumps. A. Schenzle, R. G. D. Voe and R. G. Brewer in Phys. Rev. A 33:2127 (1986).
- ↑ Single-Atom Laser Spectroscopy. Looking for Dark Periods in Fluorescence Light. C. Cohen-Tannoudji and J. Dalibard in Europhys. Lett. 1:441 (1986).
- ↑ Correlations in light emitted by three-level atoms. D. T. Pegg, R. Loudon and P. L. Knight in Phys. Rev. A 33:4085 (1986).