Four-Wave Mixing with Self-Phase Matching due to Collective Atomic Recoil

G. R. M. Robb and B. W. J. McNeil
Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 023901 – Published 18 January 2005

Abstract

We describe a method for nondegenerate four-wave-mixing in a cold sample of four-level atoms. An integral part of the four-wave-mixing process is a collective instability which spontaneously generates a periodic density modulation in the cold atomic sample with a period equal to half of the wavelength of the generated high-frequency optical field. Because of the generation of this density modulation, phase matching between the pump and scattered fields is not a necessary initial condition for this wave-mixing process to occur; rather the density modulation acts to “self-phase match” the fields during the course of the wave-mixing process. We describe a one-dimensional model of this process, and suggest a proof-of-principle experiment which would involve pumping a sample of cold Cs atoms with three infrared pump fields to produce blue light.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 28 May 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.023901

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

G. R. M. Robb and B. W. J. McNeil

  • Department of Physics, John Anderson Building, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG, Scotland

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 94, Iss. 2 — 21 January 2005

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×