Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage via the ionization continuum in helium: Experiment and theory

✍ Scribed by Thorsten Peters; Thomas Halfmann

• Book ID: 103872921
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 783 KB
• Volume: 271
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0030-4018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2006.10.055

✦ Synopsis

We experimentally demonstrate coherent population transfer, driven by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) between two bound quantum states, coupled via a continuum of states. We present extended numerical and experimental investigations on population transfer from the metastable state 2s 1 S 0 to the excited state 4s 1 S 0 in metastable helium atoms. While techniques based on incoherent excitation do not permit any population transfer via rapidly decaying continuum states, our data indicate a maximum transfer efficiency of 20% in coherent excitation by STIRAP. We study the transfer efficiency with respect to the relevant experimental parameters.