Abstract:
Quantum beats of polarizations of light emitted by a system with degenerate magnetic levels are studied. The system is an ensemble of atoms that interact with an axially symmetrical environment and are in a state with the angular momentum $S=3/2$. It is shown that because of anisotropic relaxation, quantum beats are possible in the system. The necessary and sufficient conditions for observing this effect are found. It is proved that quantum beats of light polarizations are impossible if there are no correlations between different multipole interactions of the atom with its environment. An explanation for this effect is suggested.
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