The two-photon Rydberg atom micromaser

A Rydberg atom maser operated on a two-photon degenerate atomic transition is discussed. This device combines two interesting features: it is a quantum oscillator working on an intrinsically nonlinear effect and it is a micromaser, with only a few atoms and a few tens of photons at a time in the cavity. The reasons why Rydberg atom-superconducting cavity systems are well adapted for two-photon maser studies are discussed, and the main properties of the device are analyzed by comparing it to Rydberg masers operating on one-photon transitions.<
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