Quantum Theory of an Optical Maser. II. Spectral Profile Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • In Paper I of this series, we derived equations of motion for a quantum-laser field interacting with atomic reservoirs. In the usual region of sustained oscillation, the off-diagonal elements of the radiation density matrix n,n+k(t) were found to have an expontential decay associated with phase diffusion. In I we found the spectrum of the laser radiation by calculating the single time-ensemble average electric field implied by n,n+1(t). This electric field was then treated as a classical variable whose Fourier analysis gave the spectrum. In the present paper, we establish the validity of this procedure by analyzing a simple model for a spectrometer. It is also shown that the same spectrum can be obtained from a two-time correlation function derived from the equations of motion. 1968 The American Physical Society.

published proceedings

  • Physical Review

author list (cited authors)

  • Scully, M. O., & Lamb, W. E.

citation count

  • 59

complete list of authors

  • Scully, Marlan O||Lamb, Willis E

publication date

  • February 1968