A technique for complete population transfer between the two end states $|1\rangle$ and $|3\rangle$ of a three-state quantum system with a train of $N$ pairs of resonant and coincident pump and Stokes pulses is introduced. A simple analytic formula is derived for the ratios of the pulse amplitudes in each pair for which the maximum transient population $P_2\left(t\right)$ of the middle state $|2\rangle$ is minimized, $P_2^{\max }={\sin }^2(\pi /4N)$. It is remarkable that, even though the pulses are on exact resonance, $P_2\left(t\right)$ is damped to negligibly small values even for a small number of pulse pairs. The population dynamics resembles generalized $\pi$ pulses for small $N$ and stimulated Raman adiabatic passage for large $N$ and therefore this technique can be viewed as a bridge between these well-known techniques.

• Received 5 January 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.85.043407