Optical pattern formation with a 2-level nonlinearity

Camara, A and Kaiser, Robin and Labeyrie, G. and Firth, William and Oppo, Gian-Luca and Robb, Gordon and Arnold, Aidan and Ackemann, Thorsten (2015) Optical pattern formation with a 2-level nonlinearity. Physical Review A. ISSN 1050-2947 (In Press)

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Abstract

We present an experimental and theoretical investigation of spontaneous pattern formation in the transverse section of a single retro-reflected laser beam passing through a cloud of cold Rubidium atoms. In contrast to previously investigated systems, the nonlinearity at work here is that of a 2-level atom, which realizes the paradigmatic situation considered in many theoretical studies of optical pattern formation. In particular, we are able to observe the disappearance of the patterns at high intensity due to the intrinsic saturable character of 2-level atomic transitions.

ORCID iDs

Camara, A, Kaiser, Robin, Labeyrie, G., Firth, William, Oppo, Gian-Luca ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5376-4309, Robb, Gordon ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3004-5926, Arnold, Aidan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7084-6958 and Ackemann, Thorsten ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2727-7395;
  • Item type:Article
    ID code:53498
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    2015
    Published
    2015
    Accepted
    Notes:Date of Accepted: 20/06/2015
    Keywords:spontaneous pattern forming, retro reflected laser beams, optical pattern formation, atomic transitions, Astronomy, Optics. Light, Physics and Astronomy(all)
    Subjects:Science > Astronomy
    Science > Physics > Optics. Light
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:26 Jun 2015 13:13
    Last modified:25 May 2023 09:36
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/53498
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