Selective ultrafast control of multi-level quantum systems by subcycle and unipolar pulses

authored by

Rostislav Arkhipov, Anton Pakhomov, Mikhail Arkhipov, Ayhan Demircan, Uwe Morgner, Nikolay Rosanov, Ihar Babushkin

Abstract

The most typical way to optically control population of atomic and molecular systems is to illuminate them with radiation, resonant to the relevant transitions. Here we consider a possibility to control populations with the subcycle and even unipolar pulses, containing less than one oscillation of electric field. Despite the spectrum of such pulses covers several levels at once, we show that it is possible to selectively excite the levels of our choice by varying the driving pulse shape, duration or time delay between consecutive pulses. The pulses which are not unipolar, but have a peak of electric field of one polarity much higher (and shorter) than of the opposite one, are also capable for such control.

Organisation(s)

PhoenixD: Photonics, Optics, and Engineering - Innovation Across Disciplines
Institute of Quantum Optics

External Organisation(s)

Saint Petersburg State University
St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO)
RAS - Ioffe Physico Technical Institute
Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy im Forschungsbund Berlin e.V. (MBI)

Type

Article

Journal

Optics express

Volume

28

Pages

17020-17034

No. of pages

15

ISSN

1094-4087

Publication date

21.05.2020

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.393142 (Access: Open)