Abstract
We analyze the behavior of a four-state, two-path atomic interferometer driven by shaped ultrafast laser pulses. The laser pulses interact with atomic rubidium, exciting the atoms to the state via two intermediate resonances (the and ). The relative phase of the two paths can be modified by applying a varying spectral phase at the wavelength corresponding to one of the resonant transitions for each pathway. We trace out the behavior of the system from the simplest case of weak-field excitation with resonant fields to strong-field excitation with a broadband source. Our measurements and analysis reveal that while interference is observed for all field strengths and spectral widths, the character of the interference changes substantially.
- Received 13 June 2010
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.82.023411
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