Rotational quantum beat lasing without inversion

Richter M, Lytova M, Morales F, Haessler S, Smirnova O, Spanner M, Ivanov M (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Optica Optical Society of America

Book Volume: 7

Pages Range: 586-592

Journal Issue: 6

DOI: 10.1364/OPTICA.390665

Abstract

In standard lasers, light amplification requires population inversion between an upper and a lower state to break the reciprocity between absorption and stimulated emission. However, in a medium prepared in a specific superposition state, quantum interference may fully suppress absorption while leaving stimulated emission intact, opening the possibility of lasing without inversion. Here we show that lasing without inversion arises naturally during propagation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in air. It is triggered by the combination of molecular ionization and molecular alignment, both unavoidable in intense light fields. The effect could enable inversionless amplification of broadband radiation in many molecular gases, opening unusual opportunities for remote sensing.

Involved external institutions

Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. / Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy DE Germany (DE) University of Ottawa CA Canada (CA) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay FR France (FR) Technische Universität Berlin DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Richter, M., Lytova, M., Morales, F., Haessler, S., Smirnova, O., Spanner, M., & Ivanov, M. (2020). Rotational quantum beat lasing without inversion. Optica, 7(6), 586-592. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.390665

MLA:

Richter, Maria, et al. "Rotational quantum beat lasing without inversion." Optica 7.6 (2020): 586-592.

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