Random-telegraph-signal theory of optical resonance relaxation with applications to free induction decay

We derive the effects of random telegraph noise on the equations of optical resonance. The random-telegraph-signal model allows some results to be found exactly, independent of the strength of the noise or the strength of the field that induces the resonant transitions. Our optical resonance equations depart from the well-known empirical optical Bloch equations in several ways. We obtain excellent agreement at high, low, and intermediate Rabi frequencies with the data of DeVoe and Brewer [Phys. Rev. Lett. 50, 1269 (1983)]. This is the first such agreement that has been reported with a value of the noise coherence time smaller than about 20 {μ}sec.