Anomalous two-photon spectral features in warm rubidium vapor

Abstract

We report observation of anomalous fluorescence spectral features in the environs of a two-photon transition in a rubidium vapor when excited with two different wavelength lasers that are both counterpropagating through the vapor. These features are characterized by an unusual trade-off between the detunings of the driving fields. Three different hypothetical processes are presented to explain the observed spectra: a simultaneous three-atom and four-photon collision, a four-photon excitation involving a light field produced via amplified spontaneous emission, and population pumping perturbing the expected steady-state spectra. Numerical modeling of each hypothetical process is presented, supporting the population pumping process as the most plausible mechanism.