Description
Plot of the resonance spectrum (absorption profile, ρ22 as a function of detuning δ) of a two-level atomic system, including broadening caused by the population decay rate (γ22) and coherence decay rate (γ12).
Physical model
The absorption profile has a Lorentzian shape centered at resonance (δ = 0), and its width is determined by the decay rates γ₂₂ and γ₁₂—a system with faster decay produces a broader resonance line, illustrating the time–energy uncertainty principle as applied to atomic transitions.
Developers
Marco P. M. de Souza
References
L. Allen, J. H. Eberly, Optical Resonance and Two-Level Atoms (Dover Publications, 1987).