Trapping states and micromaser dynamics by a quantum-trajectory approach

By a quantum-trajectory method we investigate micromaser dynamics and describe the effects produced on trapping states by temperature, atomic velocity spread, presence of atom pairs, and beam injection with partial atomic excitation. We determine the conditions for the observation of trapping states, and show how these conditions can be relaxed in the case of degenerate trapping states. Furthermore, we describe the stabilizing effect on trapping states as obtained by injecting a fraction of atoms in the lower level of the maser transition. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.