Stimulated Raman spectrum and optical pumping in a A-type Rb vapor system

Theoretical and experimental studies of stimulated Raman spectrum with the D1 line of an Rb-85 atomic vapor system are performed. In this A-type system, we discover that the influence of the pump on the probe field includes two parts: stimulated Raman excitation and optical pumping. Depending on the pump frequency detuning and field intensity conditions, the Raman spectrum can display either gain or loss. When the optically pumped absorption spectrum is taken as background, either a narrow transparent window or an absorption doublet with widely different linewidths appears. Our theoretical analysis agrees well with our experimental observations. Based on these studies, we present an interpretation from a new viewpoint of the physics of electromagnetically induced transparency (with on-resonance pumping) and Autler-Townes splitting (with far off-resonance pumping) in a A-type level atomic system, giving the relationship between these two important phenomena and the Raman spectrum.