2000/02/06 by M. W. Mitchell, Morgan W. Mitchell, R. Y. Chiao +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Random lasers and scattering media #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreva.62.043819
7 pages, 17 figures
arxiv created 2000/02/06 · openalex publication_date 2000/09/19 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The mediated photon-photon interaction due to the resonant Kerr nonlinearity in an inhomogeneously broadened atomic vapor is considered. The time scale for photon-photon scattering is found to be determined by the inhomogeneous broadening and the magnitude of the momentum transfer. This time can be shorter than the atomic relaxation time. Effects of atom statistics are included and the special case of small-angle scattering is considered. In the latter case, the time scale of the nonlinear response remains fast, even though the linear response slows as the inverse of the momentum transfer. Measurements of temporal and angular correlations show good agreement with theory.