Resonant Nonlinear Interactions of Light with Matter

This text uses a unified approach based on the concept of a generalized two-level system to discuss most of the effects related to resonant nonlinear optics: single- and multiphonon absorption, Raman scattering, parametric interactions self-action of light in resonant media, etc. The techniques developed here are applied to a study of polarization effects and the influence of phase locking and parametric self-induced transparency on the efficiency of frequency conversion and other resonant wave processes. A unified analytic theory of the dynamics of two-level systems under the action of quasi-resonant fields with arbitrary modulated frequency and amplitude is given. Various self-action effects based on a resonant nonlinear refractive index are discussed. They include self-focussing, self-bending (or self-deflection), the recently discovered effect of the switching of light reflection at nonlinear interfaces and optical bistability based on mututal self-focussing of counterpropagating laser beams.

This book is devoted primarily to the various kinds of resonant nonlinear in- teractions of light with two-level (or, in many cases, multilevel) systems. The interactions can involve one-photon as well as multiphoton processes in which some combinations of frequencies of participating photons are close to tran- sitions of atoms or molecules (e.g., we consider stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) as a resonant interaction). This approach involves a broad spectrum of problems. Discussion of some of the basic phenomena as well as the pertinent theory could be found, for instance, in such well-known books as the ones due to N. Bloembergen; S.A. Akhmanov and R.V. Khokhlov; L. Allen and J.H. Eberly, and to V.M. Fain and Ya.1. Khanin. The book "Quantum Electronics" by A. Yariv could serve as an introductory guide to the subject. Thus, some of the basic material in the present book will already be well known to the reader who is an expert in the field. There are, for instance, general density matrix equations; two-level model and basic effects associated with this model, such as saturation of one-photon absorption and Raby oscillations; some basic multiphoton processes such as two-photon absorption, SRS, etc.

Contents: Resonant Multiphoton Interactions and the Generalized Two-Level System.- The Molecular Response to the Resonant Effects of Quasimonochromatic Fields.- The Dynamics of Quantum Systems for Resonant Interactions with Strong Nonstationary Fields.- Polarization of Resonant Media.- Structure of One-Dimensional Waves for the Single-Photon Resonance.- Three-Photon Resonant Parametric Processes.- Four-Photon Resonant Parametric Interactions (RPI).- Self-Action of Light Beams Caused by Resonant Interaction with the Medium.- References.- Subject Index.