Self-Organization, Broken Symmetry, and Lasing in an Atomic Vapor: The Interdependence of Gratings and Gain. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • We describe a novel optical gain mechanism observed in a strongly driven Doppler-broadened atomic vapor. Gain and self-stabilizing laser oscillations are observed in a direction which is counterpropagating with respect to the traveling wave pump. Using Bragg diffraction, we show that the underlying gain-lasing mechanism is directly tied to a spontaneously formed optical wavelength grating. We suggest that this grating arises from a self-organization or self-bunching of the atoms, an effect which is mediated by recoil just as in the free electron laser. 1996 The American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • Phys Rev Lett

author list (cited authors)

  • Hemmer, P. R., Bigelow, N. P., Katz, D. P., Shahriar, M. S., DeSalvo, L., & Bonifacio, R.

citation count

  • 76

complete list of authors

  • Hemmer, PR||Bigelow, NP||Katz, DP||Shahriar, MS||DeSalvo, L||Bonifacio, R

publication date

  • August 1996