COOPERATIVE 2-PHOTON INTERACTION WITH NONCLASSICAL LIGHT

The two-photon interaction process of N identical three-level atoms wi th squeezed light is considered. The dependence of the absorption proc ess on the squeezed fluctuations of light is studied. It is shown that the absorption rate of phase squeezed light is larger than the absorp tion rate of amplitude squeezed light. If the amplitude of the fluctua tions is approximately equal to the average value of the electromagnet ic field intensity, the quantum fluctuations can stop the two-photon n utation in the system. The possibility of a first-order phase transiti on in the system composed by the atoms and the external electromagneti c field is discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.