Dynamics of a three-level Raman coupled atom interacting with two classical and two quantized modes of the electromagnetic field

We examine the dynamics of a gas of three level atoms. Each atom is taken to exhibit the so-called lambda configuration. This system has been considered previously by G. S. Agarwal. In the present work we refine and extend these earlier considerations. We assume the atomic system to be driven by two co-propagating, resonant classical fields. We assume the classical fields to be undepleted by the interaction. We further assume that the interaction takes place within an optical cavity which has two modes available to interact with the medium. All atom-field interactions are assumed to occur by way of the electric dipole coupling.;Our principal focus is the quantized field which develops within the cavity. We develop a Master equation for the time evolution of this field. We then use this equation to study certain properties of the optical field. In particular, we study the system as it operates near the Rabi side bands for the semi-classical system. We find some evidence for the nonclassical nature of the field in this regime. In the course of developing the general equation of motion for the system we derive results for the resonant semi-classical system. Our approach to this treatment is novel and does reproduce results familiar to those working in Coherent Population Trapping, Lasing Without Inversion and Electromagnetically Induced Transparency .;We also present numerical results concerning a system in which a single atom interacts within the cavity. These results are generated by a numerical integration of the Master equation for the system. The integration implements a fourth order Runge-Kutta algorithm. In the single atom system we see clear evidence for such nonclassical effects as quadrature squeezing and photon antibunching.;We see throughout this work that inter-mode correlations exist between the cavity photons. It is clearly possible for information to shared between the modes. As such, this system may be worthwhile for study by those interested in quantum information theory. In view of recent advances regarding micro-cavity QED in the strong coupling regime, experimental study of this system seems to be a distinct possibility.