Using quantum coherence to generate gain in the XUV and X-ray: gain-swept superradiance and lasing without inversion

It was shown some time ago that when the excitation of an ensemble of two-level atoms is swept in the direction of lasing, so that atoms are prepared in the excited state just as the radiation from previously excited atoms reaches them, the resulting laser amplifier is “highly anomalous” and yields superradiant emission without population inversion. We here show that transient gain in a three-level system has common features with Dicke superradiance and can yield strong extreme ultraviolet lasing in, for example, He atoms (at 58 nm) or He-like ions such as B3+ (at 6.1 nm).