V. G. Gol’dort

Velocity effects in atomic and molecular collisions: Study by coherent transients

The effect of translational velocity of active atoms and molecules on the properties of photon echo is investigated using the technique of coherent transient processes. A variation in the photon-echo decay with a frequency detuning of the excitation radiation relative to the center of the vibrational-rotational transition 0 ↔ 1 ν3R(4, 3) is observed in a mixture of 13CH3F with atomic buffers. The results are interpreted using the dependence of the echo decay rate on the magnitude of the translational velocity of active particles. The dependence of the relaxation matrix on the direction of the velocity of active atoms results in a new phenomenon of the collision-induced echo, which is investigated at the transition 0 ↔ 1 174Yb in mixtures with atomic buffers.

Depolarizing collision anisotropy and collision echo in ytterbium vapor

A photon echo induced exclusively by collisions of ytterbium atoms with buffer gas atoms has been observed at a 0 ⟷ 1-type1S0(6s2)-3P1(6s6p) 174Yb transition. The polarization properties of a collision echo and the buffer gas density dependence of its intensity agree with theoretical predictions of a model of depolarizing collisions that takes into account the dependence of a relaxation matrix on the velocity of active particles. Thus, direct experimental evidence of the relaxation anisotropy due to depolarizing collisions has been obtained.

Reflectivity kinetics of saturable absorbers for laser mirrors

The reflectivity kinetics of saturable absorbers based on semiconductor quantum wells was investigated with differential reflectivity accuracy by the pump–probe technique for energy fluxes (0.27–5.40) photons cm−2 using a femtosecond Yb3+ :KY(WO4)2 laser. Three kinds of saturable absorbers were investigated: absorbers based on multiple quantum wells with nano-structured barriers grown over a mirror; the same absorber grown over the substrate; absorbers on multiple quantum wells separated by thick barriers grown over the substrate. The substrate contribution gives a stationary background and a two-photon absorption peak for small probe delays, which complicates the kinetics of the samples grown over the substrate. For absorbers grown over the mirror two exponential decays with a short relaxation time –0.4 ps and with a long relaxation time ps were obtained. The last relaxation time is remarkably shorter than in quantum wells with thick barriers.

Collision induced two-pulsed photon echo at the transition 0–1 in a weak longitudinal magnetic field

It was shown experimentally in ytterbium vapour at the transition (6s2) 1S0 (6s6p) 3P1 (type ), that the weak longitudinal magnetic field destroys the collision induced two-pulsed photon echo generated in a gas mixture with heavy atomic buffer; in agreement with theoretical prediction.

Polarization of the stimulated photon echo in ytterbium vapour at the transition 0 ↔ 1

Experimental results were obtained at the inter-combination transition (6s2)?1S0 ? (6s6p)?3P1 (type 0 ? 1) of 174Y b vapour for several combinations of linear and circular polarizations of three exciting pulses. A peculiar case appears when the first pulse has linear polarization crossed with the polarizations of the second and third exciting pulses: the stimulated photon echo (SPE) does not appear in pure ytterbium; dilution of ytterbium by Xe implies a collision induced SPE with non-monotonic amplitude dependence on buffer pressure, and with polarization along the first exciting pulse. For circular polarizations, when the first exciting pulse has polarization opposite to the circular polarizations of the second and third pulses, the SPE does not appear either in pure ytterbium vapour or in its mixture with a heavy atomic buffer. SPE polarization dependence on the third exciting pulse area was demonstrated. This result may be of interest for optical data processing. All the results agree with theoretical predictions.

A Technique for Detecting Subpicosecond Reflection or Transmission Kinetics

A double-modulation technique was developed and tested experimentally for the detection of the kinetics of reflection of subpicosecond pulses of probe near-IR radiation from a sample (or transmission through it) after the action of exciting radiation pulses. A probe signal is detected at a frequency that is equal to the sum of stabilized unequal frequencies of interrupting exciting and probe radiations, thus permitting the elimination of the contribution of scattered exciting radiation from the valid signal. When detecting the semiconductor- sample reflectance kinetics with a time resolution of 0.13 ps, the reflection sensitivity ΔR/R = 5 × 10–6 was reached.

Femtosecond kinetics of reflection of mirrors with saturable absorption

The kinetics of mirrors with saturable absorption is investigated by a pump-probe singlefrequency technique in reflection of femtosecond pulse radiation with the central wavelength of 1040 nm. The double modulation method with probe radiation detection at the summary frequency allows suppressing the scattered pump radiation contribution and reaching the reflection change sensitivity at a level of 10−5. The kinetics of recovery of the linear reflectivity of the mirror including resonant quantum wells with nanostructured barriers is studied for the surface density of photons in pump pulses of (0.3–5.8) · 1014 cm−2. The time of electron-hole recombination (7.8 ps) is found to be appreciably shorter than in samples with quantum wells separated by thick barriers; the time of ionization of excitons localized in quantum wells (0.2–0.4 ps) increases with the pump intensity.

Photon echo generated at the transition 0–1 in ytterbium vapor

Photon echo generated at the inter-combination transition (6s2) 1S0 − (6s6p) 3P1 of 174Yb was investigated for pure ytterbium vapor and for its mixtures with atomic buffers. In pure ytterbium vapor, the polarization of photon echoes at this 0–1 transition coincides with the polarization of the second exciting pulse for all combinations of linear and circular polarizations of exciting radiation pulses. Photon echo does not appear either for linear orthogonal or for opposite circular polarizations of exciting pulses in pure ytterbium. In mixtures of ytterbium with atomic buffers (Kr, Xe), collision induced photon echo arises only for exciting pulses of linear orthogonal polarizations, its power is essentially less than that of the ordinary echo generated by pulses with parallel polarizations in the same mixture. Polarization of collision induced echo is linear, and it coincides with polarization of the first exciting pulse. Experimental results agree with calculations, and they confirm that the collision induced photon echo at this transition arises exclusively due to anisotropy of depolarizing collisions.

Coherent transients in gases

A great variety of coherent transient processes in atomic and molecular gases is investigated. The degeneracy with respect to magnetic sublevels, which is typical of working levels of atomic and molecular transitions in gases, leads to new phenomena. In particular, the non-Faraday rotation of the coherent-response polarization vector at the 0 ↔ 1 transition is investigated in the presence of the longitudinal magnetic field in the 174Yb vapor for both photon echo and stimulated photon echo. A specific relaxation channel that involves the depolarizing collisions emerges in a gas due to the degeneracy of working levels. Such collisions are especially important for atoms and are also observed in molecules. The anisotropy of the depolarizing collisions leads to a new phenomenon of the collision photon echo, which is experimentally demonstrated for the 0 ↔ 1 transition in the 174Yb mixtures with atomic buffers. The velocity-dependent relaxation rates are observed for various coherent phenomena in molecular gases. The coherent control of a few coherent transient processes is implemented.

Effect of the translational velocity of active particles on the properties of a photon echo

The photon echo method was used to detect an increase in the relaxation rate in the vibrational-rotational transition of fluoromethane in 13CH3F gas and a 13CH3F-argon mixture upon an increase in the velocity of active particles. For a photon echo in the 0–1 transition in a Yb + Xe mixture, the dependence of the relaxation parameters on the direction of the translational velocity of Yb leads to qualitative changes and a collision photon echo arises.