Simple route to strong-field coherent control

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Atomic physics

Background:

• Coherent-control schemes are typically limited to weak-field interactions.
• Strong-field interactions introduce complex effects like power broadening and level shifts, complicating analytical treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend weak-field coherent-control solutions to the strong-field regime.
• To demonstrate a method for manipulating interactions at high field intensities.

Main Methods:

• Identified a subgroup of weak-field solutions with real fields (single quadrature).
• Utilized a symmetry inherent in these fields to cancel power broadening effects.
• Generated these fields using ultrashort coherent pulses or broadband down-converted light.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that specific weak-field solutions can be extended to strong-field regimes.
• Showcased the cancellation of power broadening effects through field symmetry.
• Successfully applied these strong-field control methods in a two-photon absorption experiment in atomic cesium.

Conclusions:

• Weak-field coherent-control strategies can be successfully extended to strong-field regimes.
• Symmetric real fields offer a pathway to overcome limitations imposed by power broadening.
• This approach provides new possibilities for precise control of light-matter interactions at high intensities.