FIELD OSCILLATIONS IN A MICROMASER WITH INJECTED ATOMIC COHERENCE

The electric field in a lossless, regularly-pumped micromaser with inj ected atomic coherence can undergo a period-two oscillation in the ste ady state. The field changes its value after a single atom passes thro ugh the micromaser cavity, but returns to its original value after a s econd atom travels through. We give a simple explanation for this phen omenon in terms of tangent and cotangent states. We also examine the e ffect of cavity damping on this steady state.