We have given a novel formulation of the exact solutions for the lambda, vee and cascade three-level systems where the Hamiltonian of each configuration is expressed in the SU (3) basis. The solutions are discussed from the perspective of the Bloch equation and the atomfield entanglement scenario. For the semiclassical systems, the Bloch space structure of each configuration is studied by solving the corresponding Bloch equation and it is shown that at resonance, the eight-dimensional Bloch sphere is broken up into two distinct subspaces due to the existence of a pair of quadratic constants. Because of the different structure of the Hamiltonian in the SU (3) basis, the non-linear constants are found to be distinct for different configurations. We propose a possible representation of the qutrit wave function and show its equivalence with the three-level system. Taking the bichromatic cavity modes to be in the coherent state, the amplitudes of all three quantized systems are calculated by developing an Euler angle based dressed state scheme. Finally following the Phoenix-Knight formalism, the interrelation between the atom-field entanglement and population inversion for all configurations is studied and the existence of collapses and revivals of two different types is pointed out for the equidistant cascade system in particular.

We develop a scheme to construct the Hamiltonians of the lambda, vee and cascade type of three-level configurations using the generators of SU (3) group. It turns out that this approach provides a well defined selection rule to give different Hamitonians for each configurations. The lambda and vee type configurations are exactly solved with different initial conditions while taking the two-mode classical and quantized fields . For the classical field, it is shown that the Rabi oscillation of the lambda model is similar to that of the vee model and the dynamics of the vee model can be recovered from lambda model and vice versa simply by inversion. We then proceed to solve the quantized version of both models introducing a novel Euler matrix formalism. It is shown that this dynamical symmetry exhibited in the Rabi oscillation of two configurations for the semiclassical models is completely destroyed on quantization of the field modes. The symmetry can be restored within the quantized models when the field modes are both in the coherent states with large average photon number which is depicted through the collapse and revival of the Rabi oscillations.

We study the exact solutions of the cascade three-level atom interacting with a single mode classical and quantized field with different initial conditions of the atom. For the semiclassical model, it is found that if the atom is initially in the middle level, the time dependent populations of the upper and lower levels are always equal. This dynamical symmetry exhibited by the classical field is spoiled on quantization of the field mode. To reveal this nonclassical effect an Euler matrix formalism is developed to solve the dressed states of the cascade Jaynes-Cummings model (JCM). Possible modification of such effect on the collapse and revival phenomenon is also discussed by taking the quantized field in a coherent state.

We discuss the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) in lambda, cascade and vee type threelevel systems where the Hamiltonian and the Lindblad term of each configuration are expressed in the SU (3) representation. At steady state, the Optical Bloch Equations of each configuration are solved to obtain the dispersion and absorption profiles of the probe field along with their group velocities. When the EIT condition is achieved at resonance, the population oscillation shows which of the bare states are contributing to form the dark state. Our study reveals that the dark state for the lambda and cascade system effectively coincides with the lowest bare state of that system, while for the vee system, it is a maximally superposed state of the middle and upper bare states.

We have exactly solved a model of equidistant cascade four-level system interacting with a single-mode radiation field both semiclassically and quantum mechanically by exploiting its similarity with Jaynes-Cummings model. For the classical field, it is shown that the Rabi oscillation of the system initially in the first level (second level) is similar to that of the system when it is initially in the fourth level (third level). We then proceed to solve the quantized version of the model where the dressed state is constructed using a six-parameter four-dimensional matrix and show that the symmetry exhibited in the Rabi oscillation of the system for the semiclassical model is completely destroyed on the quantization of the cavity field. Finally, we have studied the collapse and revival of the system for the cavity field-mode in a coherent state to discuss the restoration of symmetry and its implication is discussed.