Interference between competing pathways in the interaction of three-level ladder atoms and radiation

Abstract

In this paper we explore the physical origin of the transparency induced in absorbing three-level cascade atoms by the simultaneous interplay of two coherent beams of light. By utilizing the scattering technique we offer what we believe is a very convincing physical evidence for the existence, or for the absence, of quantum interference effects in the two considered ladder systems. Bare and dressed states pictures are adopted in two different field regimes when applicable. The conclusions are drawn based on the existence of different excitation pathways and their relative orders of magnitudes. The presented study includes a distinction between the Autler–Townes (AT) and electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomena.

Keywords:

• electromagnetically induced transparency
• Autler–Townes scattering
• quantum interference
• three-level ladder

Acknowledgements

The majority of this work was conducted at Drexel University under the guidance and supervision of the late professor Lorenzo Narducci, whom I dearly admire and miss. I also wish to thank Dr Frank Narducci for critical reading of the manuscript and his genuine feedback.