Abstract

We present a microscopic model for the so-called quantum jumps in three-level atoms with one transition between two levels being strongly driven and the third level being metastable. Our model is based on calculating the elementary probability density P(0,t)(t₁, … , t_n) which gives the probability density that exactly n photons are emitted at times t₁, … , t_n by the atom in the time interval (0, t) on the strong transition. This enables us to calculate the conditional probabilities $\tilde{c}(\tau )$ that given a photon has emitted at τ = 0 the next photon emission occurs at time τ. This quantity is shown to be the sum of two exponentials which for sufficient differetial in the time scales describe the periods of light and darkness. Using this conditional probability it is possible to numerically simulate the individual photon emissions.

© 1986 Optical Society of America