Vacuum Rabi oscillation

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A vacuum Rabi oscillation is a damped oscillation of an initially excited atom coupled to an electromagnetic resonator or cavity in which the atom alternately emits photon(s) into a single-mode electromagnetic cavity and reabsorbs them. The atom interacts with a single-mode field confined to a a limited volume V in an optical cavity. [1] [2][3] Spontaneous emission results as a consequence of coupling between the atom and the vacuum fluctuations of the cavity field. The vacuum Rabi frequency is given by

\omega = \frac {2}{ \hbar } \mathcal{E} f( \mathbf{R} )\langle \mathbf{p \cdot \epsilon} \rangle \ .

where R is the location of the atom, f ( R ) = exp ( i k.R) for plane-wave fields, ε is the field polarization, \mathcal{E} = [ ħ ωk / ( 2 ε0 V )]1/2 is the electric field per photon, and < p.ε > is the dipole matrix element.

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ Hiroyuki Yokoyama & Ujihara K (1995). Spontaneous emission and laser oscillation in microcavities. Boca Raton: CRC Press, p. 6. ISBN 0849337860. 
  2. ^ Kerry Vahala (2004). Optical microcavities. Singapore: World Scientific, p. 368. ISBN 9812387757. 
  3. ^ Rodney Loudon (2000). The quantum theory of light. Oxford UK: Oxford University Press, 172. ISBN 0198501773. 

[edit] See also