Abstract

The quantum mechanical evolution of a coherent distribution of atoms interacting with a classical light field is determined by the time evolution operator for the atomic wave function. This operator contains both a non-diagonal interaction matrix and the kinetic operator with a second spatial derivative. Analytical treatments of the time evolution are only possible within certain approximations (e.g., adiabatic evolution, constant velocity, neglecting of spontaneous emission during the interaction) using specific assumptions about the initial state and the light field (e.g., Gaussian form, rectangular light profile).

© 1994 IEEE