Past exam of the atomic and laser physics course of the University of Oxford / 2021 / 2 / e / Solution

Differentiating the specified rotating-frame amplitudes gives the time-independent Schrödinger equationThe characteristic polynomial is ${\lambda }^2-({\delta }^2+{\Omega }^2)/4=0$, henceFor $\Omega \ne 0$, corresponding normalized eigenvectors are proportional to $(\Omega ,2{\lambda }_{\pm }-\delta {)}^T$. Their arbitrary complex coefficients evolve as $e^{-i{\lambda }_{\pm }t}$; this solves the amplitude equations for any initial quantum state.

Restoring the common energy origin $\overline{E}=(E_1+\hslash \omega +E_2)/2$, the two dressed state energy eigenvalues areThus their positive energy separation increases byEquivalently, the branches connected to $E_1^{\prime }=E_1+\hslash \omega$ and $E_2$ shift by $+\hslash {\Omega }^2/(4\delta )$ and $-\hslash {\Omega }^2/(4\delta )$ respectively. Their signed difference $E_1^{\prime }-E_2$ changes by $\hslash {\Omega }^2/(2\delta )$, which is the printed expression with a signed convention. For negative Rabi detuning, an actual positive separation still increases; for example at $\delta =-10\Omega$ it cannot have the negative change implied by reading the printed expression as an unsigned gap. These opposite AC Stark shifts describe level repulsion.