Observation of a high Raman gain induced by a pulsed pump laser in a Lambda system of three fine-structure levels

Abstract

We have observed a high Raman gain in a quasi-stationary state realized by a single strong-pulsed-pump laser. The Raman gain, originating from the population inversion in the dressed state picture, was as large as 1700% in a system of three fine-structure levels of atomic samarium, corresponding to a gain cross section comparable with the linear absorption cross section for the same transition. ? 2007 Optical Society of America.