LASED: A Laser-Atom Interaction Simulator derived from Quantum Electrodynamics

TL;DR

LASED is a Python-based simulator derived from quantum electrodynamics that models laser-atom interactions, accounting for various experimental parameters and enabling detailed time evolution calculations of atomic systems.

Contribution

The paper introduces LASED, a novel, flexible quantum electrodynamics-based simulator for laser-atom interactions with customizable laser and atomic parameters.

Findings

Successfully simulated calcium, helium, and caesium excitation processes.

Demonstrated the simulator's ability to handle different atomic states and laser configurations.

Validated the model with example scenarios and provided simulation results.

Abstract

A laser-atom interaction simulator derived from quantum electrodynamics (LASED) is presented, which has been developed in the python programming language. LASED allows a user to calculate the time evolution of a laser-excited atomic system. The model allows for any laser polarization, a Gaussian laser beam profile, a rotation of the reference frame chosen to define the states, and an averaging over the Doppler profile of an atomic beam. Examples of simulations using LASED are presented for excitation of calcium from the 4$^1S_0$ state to the 4$^1P_1$ state, for excitation from the helium 3$^1D_2$ state excited by electron impact to the 10$^1P_1$ state, and for laser excitation of caesium via the $D_2$ line.