Diode-laser-noise-based spectroscopy of allowed and crossover resonances

Abstract

This paper analyses the extraction of spectroscopic information on an atom via use of field fluctuations in a diode laser, wherein the statistics of diode-laser radiation are modeled by a phase-diffusion process. Using Monte Carlo methods, we solve density-matrix equations for a three-level V system, driven by this fluctuating field, tuned approximately to the two allowed transitions. The model is very general and allows us to incorporate arbitrary field strengths and bandwidths. We suggest two different signal detection schemes, each of which provides insight into different aspects of the energy-level structure in an atomic sample. Specifically, if intensity fluctuations in the field radiated from the sample are spectrally analyzed, via a homodyne technique, one can isolate contributions that are linear and quadratic in the radiated field, and these reveal resonances at the allowed transition frequencies of the atom. If we employ direct detection instead of the homodyne method, then the crossover transition is also revealed in the signal. The strengths of these resonances are very sensitive to the bandwidth of the field fluctuations, as well as the details of the field statistics. We also discuss the role of Stark shifts at higher intensities.