Superradiance in inverted multilevel atomic clouds

Abstract

This work examines superradiance in initially inverted clouds of multilevel atoms. We develop a set of equations that can approximately calculate the temporal evolution of $N$ coupled atoms. This allows us to simulate clouds containing hundreds of multilevel atoms while eschewing the assumption and/or approximation of symmetric dipole-dipole interactions. This treatment is used to explore the effects that dephasing causes by elastic dipole-dipole interactions and that competition between multiple transitions has on superradiance. Both of these mechanisms place strong parametrical restrictions on a given transition's ability to superradiate. These results are likely important to recent experiments that probe superradiance in Rydberg atoms.