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Isotropic quantum beats

I. Pulsed pump-probe detection

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Abstract.

Previous theoretical work reviewed in [E.B. Alexandrov et al. Interference of atomic states (Springer, 1993)] has questioned the existence of isotropic quantum beats in atoms. The present work addresses this issue in dedicated experiments involving a pulsed pump-probe detection scheme. The thus obtained results show clear evidence of isotropic quantum beats for which a physical interpretation is given within the coupled-uncoupled state formalism. We suggest that assumptions made in the earlier theoretical work with respect to the structure of the light field make the predictions applicable to scattering only of single photons by atoms and not to scattering of the classical-like light pulses used in ordinary experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. AlbaNova University Center, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    P. Johansson & T. Hansson

  2. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194021, St. Petersburg, Russia

    I. E. Mazets & O. S. Vasyutinskii

Authors
  1. P. Johansson
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  2. I. E. Mazets
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  3. O. S. Vasyutinskii
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  4. T. Hansson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Hansson.

Additional information

Received: 23 June 2004, Published online: 31 August 2004

PACS:

42.50.Ct Quantum description of interaction of light and matter; related experiments - 42.50.Md Optical transient phenomena: quantum beats, photon echo, free-induction decay, dephasings and revivals, optical nutation, and self-induced transparency

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Johansson, P., Mazets, I.E., Vasyutinskii, O.S. et al. Isotropic quantum beats. Eur. Phys. J. D 31, 121–129 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2004-00112-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2004-00112-5

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