Phase states for a three-level atom interacting with quantum fields
Abstract
We introduce phase operators associated with the algebra su(3), which is the appropriate tool to describe three-level systems. The rather unusual properties of this phase are caused by the small dimension of the system and are explored in detail. When a three-level atom interacts with a quantum field in a cavity, a polynomial deformation of this algebra emerges in a natural way. We also introduce a polar decomposition of the atom-field relative amplitudes that leads to a Hermitian relative-phase operator, whose eigenstates correctly describe the corresponding phase properties. We claim that this is the natural variable to deal with quantum interference effects in atom-field interactions. We find the probability distribution for this variable and study its time evolution in some special cases.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review A
- Pub Date:
- January 2003
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:quant-ph/0212012
- Bibcode:
- 2003PhRvA..67a3803K
- Keywords:
-
- 42.50.Ct;
- 42.50.Dv;
- 42.50.Hz;
- 42.50.Fx;
- Quantum description of interaction of light and matter;
- related experiments;
- Nonclassical states of the electromagnetic field including entangled photon states;
- quantum state engineering and measurements;
- Strong-field excitation of optical transitions in quantum systems;
- multiphoton processes;
- dynamic Stark shift;
- Cooperative phenomena in quantum optical systems;
- Quantum Physics
- E-Print:
- 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted for publication to Phys. Rev. A