Abstract

Resonant cold atomic samples are known to provide an efficient medium for the study of non linear optical processes such as four-wave-mixing (FWM) and phase conjugation (PC). Although this system is frequently modeled as an homogeneous sample of two-level atoms, the actual non linear response strongly depends on the internal structure (Zeeman degeneracy) of the atomic energy levels and consequently on the polarizations of the optical fields. Recently, a general treatment of the coherent response, (including FWM generation) of degenerate two-level atoms was presented[1].

© 2000 IEEE