Resonant forward-scattered field in the high-saturation regime: Elastic and inelastic contributions

TL;DR

This study investigates the resonant forward scattering of light in a highly saturated atomic medium, distinguishing elastic and inelastic contributions, and provides an asymptotic relation between scattered powers near resonance.

Contribution

It presents experimental measurements and a theoretical model clarifying elastic and inelastic scattering roles in high-saturation regimes.

Findings

Experimental results align with elastic scattering contributions.

Attenuation of coherent transmission involves both elastic and inelastic scattering.

Derived asymptotic expression links elastic scattering power to forward-scattered power.

Abstract

We measure the resonant forward scattering of light by a highly saturated atomic medium through the flashes emitted immediately after an abrupt extinction of the probe beam. The experiment is done in a dilute regime where the phenomena are well captured using the independent scattering approximation. Comparing our measurements to a model based on Maxwell-Bloch equations, our experimental results are consistent with contributions from only the elastic component, whereas the attenuation of the coherent transmission power is linked to the elastic and inelastic scatterings. In the large saturation regime and at the vicinity of the atomic resonance, we derive an asymptotic expression relating the elastic scattering power to the forward-scattered power.