Quantum interference in the spectrum of a driven atom: Effects of pumping and phase fluctuations

Abstract

The quantum interference in the spontaneous-emission spectrum of a driven atom, when the upper level of the atomic transition is coupled to a third level via a classical driving field, results in a dark line in the absence of the atomic decays. The existence of the dark line is independent of the Rabi frequency associated with the driving field. There is no such dark line in the spontaneous-emission spectrum when, instead of the upper level, the lower level is coupled to a third level via a driving field. In this paper, we include the level decays, incoherent pumping, and the finite bandwidth of the driving field in our analysis and study their role in the spontaneous-emission spectrum in the two configurations.