Undergraduate Research Project on Characterization of Quantum Interference in Spontaneous Emission in an Atomic Gas with a Single Pulsed Laser

We are currently investigating the quantum interference in spontaneous emission in a dilute thermal atomic gas with an intense pulsed laser beam. A short pulse of the light (\textasciitilde 6 ns) is used to excite Rb atoms in a room-temperature cell. During the exponential decay, we have been able to detect a quantum beat which is consistent with the hyperfine level-splitting of the excited state manifold. We plan to investigate how these beats vary on frequency, polarization, and other laser parameters.