Monte Carlo calculations of radiation from a randomly modulated atom in a strong field

Abstract

The nature of light scattered from a two-level atom, where the transition frequency between the two levels is a stochastic quantity, pumped by a strong monochromatic field is investigated. The optical Bloch equations, modified to include the stochastic nature of the atomic frequency, are solved using Monte Carlo techniques to include arbitrary strengths and bandwidths of the frequency noise. We find in the spectrum of scattered light a shift of the Rabi sidebands due to the stochastic nature of the transition frequency. We also find the height of the Rabi sideband first decreases and then increases with increasing strength of the noise. The intensity-intensity correlation function for the emitted fluorescence is observed to be sensitive to the time scale of the noise. The calculated line shapes for weak driving fields can be fitted to a superposition of Gaussian and Lorentzian lines.