Frequency-modulated few-cycle optical-pulse-train-induced controllable ultrafast coherent population oscillations in two-level atomic systems

We report a study on the ultrafast coherent population oscillations (UCPOs) in two-level atoms induced by a frequency-modulated few-cycle optical pulse train. The phenomenon of UCPOs is investigated by numerically solving the optical Bloch equations beyond the rotating wave approximation. We demonstrate that the quantum state of the atoms and the frequency of the UCPOs may be controlled by controlling the number of pulses in the pulse trains and the pulse repetition time, respectively. Moreover, the robustness of the population inversion against the variation of the laser pulse parameters is also investigated. The proposed scheme may be useful for the creation of atoms in selected quantum states for desired time duration and may have potential applications in ultrafast optical switching. The scheme may also be used to measure pulse repetition rate.