title: Non-Hermitian wave packet approximation for coupled two-level systems in weak and intense fields.
abstract: We introduce a non-Hermitian Schrödinger-type approximation of optical Bloch equations for two-level systems. This approximation provides a complete and accurate description of the coherence and decoherence dynamics in both weak and strong laser fields at the cost of losing accuracy in the description of populations. In this approach, it is sufficient to propagate the wave function of the quantum system instead of the density matrix, providing that relaxation and dephasing are taken into account via automatically adjusted time-dependent gain and decay rates. The developed formalism is applied to the problem of scattering and absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a thin layer comprised of interacting two-level emitters.
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay (ISMO), CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Raiju
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Puthumpally-Joseph
authors.affiliation: Science and Mathematics Faculty, College of Letters and Sciences, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona 85212, USA.
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sukharev
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay (ISMO), CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Charron