Temporal Coherent Control in Two-Photon Transitions: From Optical Interferences to Quantum Interferences

Abstract

Temporal coherent control of an excited state wave packet is produced by a sequence of two identical ultrashort laser pulses. We show theoretically and experimentally in the case of the $(6s\ensuremath{-}7d)$ two-photon transition in Cs that optical and quantum interferences take place and are clearly distinguished.