Characterization of the quasi-stationary state of an impurity driven by monochromatic light. II: Microscopic foundations (Q2350916)

The laser phenomenology has received a mathematically rigorous support for some versions of the Dicke model, which are based on the concept of two-level atoms. The main objective of the present paper is to give a mathematically satisfactory proof of the assertion (Theorem 3.3 in the previous paper [the authors and \textit{M. Westrich}, ibid. 13, No. 6, 1305--1370 (2012; Zbl 1257.82104)]) stating that the restriction of the full unitary dynamics to that of the \(N\)-level atom is properly described (up to small corrections for moderate pump strength) by an effective non-autonomous time evolution involving atomic degrees of freedom only. The dynamics is analyzed for the \(N\)-level atom (impurity) interacting with the external monochromatic light source within an infinite system of fermions at thermal equilibrium. The relation is established between the full dynamics of the compound system and the effective dynamics for the \(N\)-level atom. Together, both papers in the series provide a complete microscopic derivation of optical pumping and the induced inversion of population, from quantum mechanical first principles only. The main result of the paper (Theorem 3.1) actually establishes limits of validity of the effective atomic master equation.