Adiabatic Interactions and Frequency Conversion Processes: Investigations and Applications

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Thomas Halfmann
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2006 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 31926495

Interactions of strong, coherent radiation with matter are of significant interest to recent laserbased science. These interactions do not rely on the high intensity of laser radiation only, but also on the coherence properties. Among the successfully applied interactions are techniques, based on adiabatic passage processes. These are of special interest due to their robustness with respect to fluctuations in the experimental parameters. While adiabatic processes are usually implemented with rather long radiation pulses at moderate intensities, many applications require interactions, driven by short laser pulses at high intensities. We will investigate coherent, adiabatic interactions, driven by short laser pulses, with regard to applications in quantum systems involving multi-photon transitions, in dense gaseous media with fast dephasing processes, and to nonlinear optical frequency conversion processes. The investigations focus on efficient low-order and high-order frequency conversion in coherently prepared, gaseous media of large densities. In particular, the aim is to provide novel, efficient sources for shortwavelength radiation and ultra-broadband spectra. These are of considerable interest, e.g. for the generation of ultra-short laser pulses, approaching the sub-femtosecond time domain.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants