Abstract

The theoretical analysis of pulse propagation in a homogeneously broadened two-level superfluorescent gain medium¹ has demonstrated that the pulse phase and energy are unstable to quantum fluctuations in the atomic dipoles. These fluctuations dominate pulse behavior in the leading edge where the incident field is weak. Occasionally, the phase of the incident field can be adiabatically reversed by these microscopic quantum fluctuations, and the trend is amplified through the entire pulse. During these rapid phase-wave reversals the pulse leads the atomic dipoles by 90° and drives them into the excited state, transferring a significant amount of energy to the atoms. Thus macroscopic fluctuations in pulse intensity and pulse energy (occurring on an episodic basis in the homogeneous model) result from quantum noise initiated in the dipoles at the leading edge of the pulse.

© 1993 Optical Society of America