Abstract

This study concerns the shape of the resonance fluorescence spectrum emitted by a V-type three-level atom driven by two coherent fields which are resonant with the transitions connecting the ground state and the second and third level, respectively. We are especially interested in monitoring the spontaneous emission from the top level to the ground state. If the field connecting levels 1 and 2 is absent or small, the spontaneous emission from level 3 is characterized by the standard Mollow spectrum. If instead the 1-2 transition is saturated, the spectrum of resonance fluorescence from the top level is characterized by the following signatures: (i) the appearance of sidebands due to Rabi splitting effects, (ii) a reduction of its integrated area because of coherent population trapping¹, and (iii) a significant reduction of its linewidth if the natural lifetime of level 2 is longer than level 3. The latter effect is especially interesting and rather unexpected, as the decay properties of an optical transition are being transferred to another by controlling the relative magnitudes of the driving fields. We have carried out our calculations with the help of the regression theorem and also developed a simple physical interpretation in terms of appropriate dressed states².

© 1989 Optical Society of America