Observation of a two-photon gain feature in the strong-probe absorption spectrum of driven two-level atoms

Yifu Zhu; Qilin Wu; S. Morin; T. W. Mossberg

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.1200

Observation of a two-photon gain feature in the strong-probe absorption spectrum of driven two-level atoms

Yifu Zhu, Qilin Wu, S. Morin, and T. W. Mossberg

Phys. Rev. Lett. 65, 1200 – Published 3 September 1990

Abstract

A feature associated with continuous-wave two-photon optical gain has been observed in the absorption spectrum of an ensemble of barium atoms driven by a strong near-resonant optical field. In the dressed-atom picture, the observed gain is attributable to inverted two-photon transitions with nearly resonant intermediate states. A cw optical two-photon laser utilizing this gain appears feasible.