Ultrafast saturation of resonant optical processes

Anil K. Patnaik, Sukesh Roy, and James R. Gord
Phys. Rev. A 90, 063813 – Published 10 December 2014

Abstract

A generalized formulation is presented for determining the saturation thresholds for optical processes excited by ultrafast pulses based on the pulse area of the excitation pulse. It is demonstrated that the threshold of driving-pulse intensity for absorption and fluorescence saturation in a two-level system is inversely proportional to the square of the duration of the excitation pulse. These results are obtained from both a simplified analytical solution assuming a Gaussian excitation pulse shape and a detailed numerical calculation based on density-matrix equations. The calculation is generalized further to obtain the saturation condition for a two-photon Raman process by defining a two-photon pulse area both analytically and numerically. These results not only provide predictive capabilities for determining thresholds of signal saturation using ultrashort durations with arbitrary pulse shapes and durations but also open up possibilities for predetermining the threshold intensities of various resonant nonlinear processes.

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  • Received 12 June 2014
  • Revised 24 October 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.90.063813

©2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Anil K. Patnaik1,2,*, Sukesh Roy3, and James R. Gord1

  • 1Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio 45433, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio 45435, USA
  • 3Spectral Energies, LLC, 5100 Springfield Street, Suite 301, Dayton, Ohio 45431, USA

  • *anil.patnaik@wright.edu

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Vol. 90, Iss. 6 — December 2014

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