Cooperative effects and transverse coherence in superfluorescence
Abstract
Cooperative effects during spontaneous emission by N inverted atoms were first predicted by Dicke (1954), who described the process as one of superradiance. Dicke's work focused attention on the development of cooperation from an initial state of zero polarization, in which the radiation develops spontaneously with a rate proportional to N times the Einstein A-coefficient. This situation, often called 'superfluorescence', has been observed several times since 1972. The present investigation is concerned with a fully four-dimensional quantum statistical treatment of the problem. The situation treated is deliberately restricted to swept-grain (longitudinal) pumping with the pump duration regarded as essentially zero. The equations for the forward travelling superfluorescent wave are well decoupled from the counterpropagating wave under the considered circumstances. The obtained results are found to be in good agreement with cesium superfluorescence experiments.
- Publication:
-
Lasers 1981
- Pub Date:
- 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982lase.conf..318D
- Keywords:
-
- Coherent Light;
- Fluorescence;
- Laser Outputs;
- Quantum Mechanics;
- Statistical Mechanics;
- Time Lag;
- Lasers and Masers