Ultrafast dynamic evolution of multilevel systems in medium-strength laser fields

Abstract: The ultrafast dynamic evolution of an atomic system under medium-strength laser fields is studied by performing transient absorption measurement. An analytical model developed from perturbation theory with a modified transition dipole moment is presented to explain the spectral features of the multilevel system. By fitting the measured absorption spectra to the model, the system's dynamic evolution is quantified by different amplitude and phase modulation factors in the pump--probe and probe--pump scenarios. This study provides a way to understand laser--matter interaction in the transition area between the strong-field and weak-field regimes.