Quantum Theory of Self-Induced Transparency

TL;DR

This paper quantizes the electromagnetic field in a medium resonant with atomic energy levels, applying quantum sine-Gordon theory to compute quantum corrections and spontaneous emission intensities.

Contribution

It introduces a quantum framework for self-induced transparency using sine-Gordon quantum field theory and calculates quantum corrections to classical results.

Findings

Quantum corrections to classical self-induced transparency

Calculation of spontaneous emission intensity using thermodynamic Bethe ansatz

Extension of classical models to quantum regime

Abstract

It is known that classical electromagnetic radiation at a frequency in resonance with energy splittings of atoms in a dielectric medium can be described using the classical sine-Gordon equation. In this paper we quantize the electromagnetic field and compute quantum corrections to the classical results by using known results from the sine-Gordon quantum field theory. In particular, we compute the intensity of spontaneously emitted radiation using the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz with boundary interactions.