Dynamical behaviors of three-level atoms inside an optical ring cavity

In this dissertation, the dynamical behaviors such as instability, chaos and dynamical hysteresis of three-level atoms inside an optical ring cavity are studied. First, the unique absorption and dispersion properties of the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is used to effectively relax the conditions for observing the cavity ringdown effect (CRE). With the help of intracavity EIT medium, CRE can still be observed even in a short optical cavity with a much lower finesse, and slower scanning speed for the cavity. A more straight forward and simple method is used to model such interesting CRE.;Dynamic instability in the transmission field of an optical ring cavity containing three-level Λ-type rubidium atoms is studied in detail both experimentally and theoretically. The onset and periodicity of such dynamic oscillations in the cavity field can be controlled by the experimental parameters, such as intensity and frequency detuning of the coupling field and/or cavity field. Such nonlinear dynamic behavior is caused by competition between optical saturation of the cavity field and optical population pumping by the coupling field in the three-level atomic system.;Next, the chaotic behaviors in a system comprising of three-level atoms inside an optical ring cavity is theoretically predicted and experimentally demonstrated. This EIT system is driven to chaos through period-doubling route by reducing the frequency detuning of the coupling laser beam. The chaos occurs in a different parametric regime as previously predicted and is believed to be caused by the enhanced dispersion and nonlinearity due to induced atomic coherence in such EIT system.;Finally, the "backward" (clockwise rotating) hysteresis cycle in the system of an optical ring cavity containing three-level rubidium atoms is experimentally observed. The shape and direction of the observed hysteresis cycles can be easily controlled with experimental parameters. Such interesting phenomenon is caused by the greatly modified absorption, dispersion, and the nonlinear optical properties of the three-level atomic medium, due to the induced atomic coherence.;Some research works on microring resonators are also discussed.