State-Dependent Diffusion and Spectra of Strongly Driven Thermal Atoms

Abstract

We propose a state-dependent diffusion model for strongly driven thermal-atom spectra. Starting from the trajectory-dependent internal-state evolution of individual atoms, we derive a closed spatial equation for the local density-matrix field using a velocity-moment expansion. Measurements of an ⁸⁵Rb atomic-filter transmission spectrum agree well with the model up to a maximum Gaussian peak intensity of 1.27×10³ W/cm², approaching six orders of magnitude above the ⁸⁵Rb D2-line saturation intensity. Counterintuitively, the model reveals an anomalous optical-pumping pathway in which intense light transfers atoms from nominally dark states into bright states. Hyperfine Paschen--Back splitting selectively enhances this anomalous pathway while suppressing conventional optical pumping, allowing the filter to maintain approximately 97% transmission at the highest intensity studied. This work provides a framework for controlling strongly driven atomic ensembles and designing saturation-resistant atomic optical devices.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{xiao2026statedependent,
  title = {{State-Dependent Diffusion and Spectra of Strongly Driven Thermal Atoms}},
  author = {Zheng Xiao and Zijie Liu and Suyang Wei and Anhong Dang and Tiantian Shi and Jingbiao Chen},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.15351},
  eprint = {2609.15351},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.15351},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - State-Dependent Diffusion and Spectra of Strongly Driven Thermal Atoms
AU  - Zheng Xiao
AU  - Zijie Liu
AU  - Suyang Wei
AU  - Anhong Dang
AU  - Tiantian Shi
AU  - Jingbiao Chen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/14
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.15351
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.15351
AB  - We propose a state-dependent diffusion model for strongly driven thermal-atom spectra. Starting from the trajectory-dependent internal-state evolution of individual atoms, we derive a closed spatial equation for the local density-matrix field using a velocity-moment expansion. Measurements of an ^85Rb atomic-filter transmission spectrum agree well with the model up to a maximum Gaussian peak intensity of 1.27×10^3 W/cm^2, approaching six orders of magnitude above the ^85Rb D2-line saturation intensity. Counterintuitively, the model reveals an anomalous optical-pumping pathway in which intense light transfers atoms from nominally dark states into bright states. Hyperfine Paschen--Back splitting selectively enhances this anomalous pathway while suppressing conventional optical pumping, allowing the filter to maintain approximately 97% transmission at the highest intensity studied. This work provides a framework for controlling strongly driven atomic ensembles and designing saturation-resistant atomic optical devices.
ER  -

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