MaxwellBloch Documentation

MaxwellBloch is a Python package for solving the coupled Maxwell-Bloch equations describing the nonlinear propagation of near-resonant light through thermal quantised systems such as atomic vapours.

Propagation of a 4π pulse through a dense atomic vapour.

Propagation of a 4π pulse through a dense atomic vapour. The pulse immediately breaks up on entering the medium and the resultant pulses form two optical solitons each with a pulse area of 2π.

MaxwellBloch is used for theoretical research, for modelling experiments and for undergraduate and graduate teaching.

MaxwellBloch can model two, three or many-level systems with physical effects including:

  • Inhomogeneous broadening due to spontaneous decay,

  • Doppler broadening in thermal systems,

  • Collision dephasing,

  • Sub-level structure.

Modules are also available for:

  • Generating hyperfine structure for alkali atoms with the correct channels and angular momentum factors for coupling and decay,

  • Specral analysis,

  • Plotting and animating solutions.

Some phenomena that can be demonstrated:

  • Linear absorption and dispersion,

  • Fast light,

  • Slow light,

  • Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT),

  • Storage and Retrieval of Light pulses,

  • Self-Induced Transparency (SIT) and Optical Solitons,

  • Matched Pulses and Simultons,

  • Hyperfine Pumping.

See the Examples section below for details.

Examples

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