ISSN:
1432-0630
Keywords:
32
;
34
;
42.55
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
Abstract Laser induced nonlinear absorption profiles in a three-level system have been recorded to study the effect of elastic collisions upon optical coherences. In our particular system, the signal is due to a pure double-quantum term, where we have separated the effect of phase-interrupting collisions from the effect of velocity-changing collisions. Experimental results show that the effect of velocity-changing collisions is very small, and that broadening of the signal is due to phase-interrupting collisions mainly. We are able to determine the increase of the decay rate of the coherent superposition (the “coherence”) of two levels of same parity [Dγ 13/dp=(6.5±1) MHz/Torr] and an upper limit for the mean velocity change (ũ≲5m/s).
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00901791
Permalink