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Tag: dustin pedroia
Red Sox offseason: Dustin Pedroia will have 'the say in anything going forward with his career,' GM Brian O'Halloran says
Though his future is undecided at the moment, the Red Sox have remained in contact with Dustin Pedroia over the course of the offseason, general manager Brian O'Halloran said Monday.
Pedroia, 37, has played in just nine total games since the start of the 2018 season on account of undergoing three procedures on his left knee over the last three years.
"We talk to Dustin and his agents all the time," O'Halloran told reporters via Zoom. "I wouldn't get into the specifics of any of those conversations, but I understand the question."
The Sox reinstated Pedroia from the 60-man injured list and added him back to the 40-man roster in late October, but that does not mean the second baseman will be ready to play in 2021.
"Dustin's not a healthy player right now," O'Halloran said of Pedroia. "Anything with Dustin, first of all, we'd keep those conversations private. And Dustin's going to have the say in anything going forward with his career."
Entering the final year of the eight-year, $110 million contract extension he signed with Boston in 2013, Pedroia did not play at all this past season and has not been with the Sox consistently since Memorial Day 2019. At that time, the four-time All-Star decided to halt all baseball/rehab activities and return to his Arizona home to assess his future.
With all the uncertainty surrounding his status moving forward, Pedroia would seem at serious risk to lose his spot on the Red Sox' 40-man roster, which currently sits at 39 players.
As the virtual Winter Meetings commence this week, one would thing chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is going to continue to reshuffle his team's roster, and freeing up Pedroia's spot could certainly help with that.
All that being said, Pedroia remains one of the more iconic figures in recent Red Sox history. The former second-round draft pick out of Arizona State has collected 1,805 career hits, a Silver Slugger Award, four Gold Glove Awards, an MVP trophy, and three World Series titles over the course of an illustrious 14-year major-league career.
Because of all those accolades and what he means to the franchise, Pedroia will certainly have plenty of influence on how his situation is handled by the team as the offseason continues.
"As a Red Sox great and someone who I have had the pleasure of knowing for many, many years now," said O'Halloran, "we would give Dustin the respect of having input on everything that goes on with him and keep any conversations we have with him private."
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on December 7, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags 2021 season, alex cora, Baseball, boston, brian o'halloran, chaim bloom, dustin pedroia, mlb, offseason, red sox, winter meetingsLeave a comment on Red Sox offseason: Dustin Pedroia will have 'the say in anything going forward with his career,' GM Brian O'Halloran says
Dustin Pedroia's Red Sox career could be nearing its conclusion
Dustin Pedroia's time on the Red Sox' 40-man roster could be coming to an end relatively soon.
The 37-year-old second baseman was activated from the 60-day injured list along with five others late last month, which brought Boston's 40-man roster up to 37 players.
Clubs have until this coming Friday, November 20, to protect Rule 5-eiligible minor-leaguers from this year's Rule 5 Draft, or in other words, add them to their 40-man roster.
As currently constructed, the Sox have three open slots on their 40-man with upwards of 50 prospects in need of Rule-5 protection. Obviously, the math does not check out here, and the majority of those 50-plus minor-leaguers will be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft come December.
There are however a select handful of Red Sox prospects who will need to be protected, as they are regarded as some of the more promising young players in the club's minor-league pipeline.
Left-hander Jay Groome, right-hander Bryan Mata, infielder Hudson Potts, outfielder Jeisson Rosario, right-hander Connor Seabold, and catcher Connor Wong are the six key prospects in this scenario.
Groome and Mata, both of whom signed with the Red Sox in 2016, are regarded by MLB Pipeline as the top two active pitching prospects in Boston's farm system.
The other four — Potts, Rosario, Seabold, and Wong — have all been acquired by the Sox via trade(s) within the last 12 months, so it's highly unlikely the club would want to risk losing any of them.
There could be other, lesser-known minor-leaguers the Sox consider worthy of a 40-man roster spot, as was the case with lefty Kyle Hart last year. But, for the sake of this exercise, let's assume that the Red Sox have six players they would like to add to the 40-man with only three vacancies to work with.
This means that, in some capacity, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom will presumably look to reshuffle his team's 40-man roster between now and Friday.
Players who are currently on the 40-man could either get traded, designated, or outrighted within the next five days, but those same players could also help another team if they wind up in the right situation.
There is plenty of risk involved in this process, but there is one route Bloom and Co. could take that could help mitigate that risk just a little bit. That being, take Pedroia, among others off the 40-man roster.
The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reported last month that Pedroia and the Red Sox "are prepared to talk soon about a mutual understanding that would end his playing career."
Though WEEI's Rob Bradford later added on to that report by stating that "nothing" had yet to have been discussed between the two sides, a mutual agreement of some sorts here certainly makes sense from the Red Sox' point of view.
Pedroia, a former MVP, has played in just nine total games over the last three seasons on account of issues with his left knee. He's undergone three knee surgeries since 2017.
As he enters the final year of the eight-year, $110 million contract extension he signed with Boston back in 2013, it appears that the former second-round draft pick will be unable to play in 2021, or again, on account of how inactive he has been recently.
With that in mind, the Sox may look to reach some sort of settlement with Pedroia so that they can get out from some of the $12 million they owe him next year while also freeing up a 40-man roster spot for someone who can consistently contribute.
This is not exactly a fun scenario to consider, as Pedroia has proven to be one of the Red Sox' undisputed leaders and all-time greats in his 15 or so years with the club, but it may be time to move on and have the four-time Gold Glover transition to a front office or coaching role within the organization, if possible.
Red Sox general manager Brian O'Halloran addressed this very issue in September, and he emphasized the notion that Pedroia will have a say in what the future holds for him as a Red Sox.
"I don't think that any one particular roster spot is something I would focus on as a problem and certainly not when it's Dustin Pedroia," O'Halloran said. "We're going to talk to Dustin and he's obviously going to have the most say in where things go from here. No. 1 is making sure he's as healthy as he can be for the rest of his life, really. And certainly we want to talk to him and see how he's feeling and see where he wants to go from here."
In short, Friday's Rule 5 deadline will serve as a key indicator for where the Red Sox currently stand with Pedroia and the four-time All-Star's status moving forward.
Other players are likely to get moved around, too, but Pedroia is without a doubt the most significant figure whose spot on Boston's 40-man roster could be in jeopardy. We will have to wait and see what Bloom and Co. have in store.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on November 15, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags 2021 season, alex cora, all stars, Baseball, boston, brian o'halloran, chaim bloom, contract extension, contracts, dustin pedroia, gold glove, injured list, mlb, mvp, ownership, red sox, surgeryLeave a comment on Dustin Pedroia's Red Sox career could be nearing its conclusion
Red Sox 40-man roster crunch: Chris Sale, Dustin Pedroia among six players reinstated from injured list
As the month of October comes to a close, the Red Sox made another series of roster moves earlier Saturday afternoon, this time reinstating six players from the injured list and therefore adding them back to the club's 40-man roster.
Those six players? Left-handers Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Kyle Hart, right-hander Colten Brewer, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/iUE0hD3pyG
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 31, 2020
All three of Sale (Tommy John surgery), Rodriguez (Myocarditis), and Pedroia (left knee), missed the 2020 season for their own respective reasons, while Brewer (strained right middle finger), Hart (left hip impingement), and Benintendi (right rib cage strain) all had their seasons cut short due to injury.
By reinstating this group of players, the Sox have bumped up the size of their 40-man roster to 37, which is significant seeing how the deadline to add Rule 5 eligible minor-leaguers to the 40-man is just under three weeks away.
Based off the list of those who are eligible, Boston seems keen on adding at least six prospects — Jay Groome, Bryan Mata, Connor Seabold, Connor Wong, Jeisson Rosario, Hudson Potts — to its 40-man roster before the November 20 deadline.
With that in mind, expect chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. to keep busy as the calendars flip to November. There is much to do, like deciding on whether to pick up Martin Perez's $6.5 million option for 2021 or reaching some sort of settlement with Pedroia, in a relatively short period of time.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on October 31, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags 40-man roster, andrew benintendi, Baseball, boston, chaim bloom, chris sale, colten brewer, dustin pedroia, eduardo rodriguez, kyle hart, mlb, offseason, red sox, roster, roster movesLeave a comment on Red Sox 40-man roster crunch: Chris Sale, Dustin Pedroia among six players reinstated from injured list
Christian Arroyo's Performance With Red Sox This Year Left Chaim Bloom 'Hungry for More' in 2021
Going into the 2020 season, Christian Arroyo likely wasn't on the Red Sox' radar.
The 25-year-old infielder opened the year with the Indians and managed to appear in just one game as a defensive replacement before getting designated for assignment on August 6.
A week later, Arroyo was claimed off waivers by Boston. All the while, the club's brass was watching another former top prospect struggle at the major-league level in the form of Jose Peraza.
Peraza, who inked a one-year deal with the Sox last December after getting non-tendered by the Reds coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign, was viewed as a potential solution to Boston's lingering second base problem.
The 26-year-old Venezuelan got off to a hot start with his new club by racking up seven hits in his first five games of the year, but eventually cooled off to the point where he was eventually optioned to the alternate training site for the remainder of the season on September 9.
Peraza's demotion came a day after the Red Sox selected Arroyo's contract from Pawtucket, thus promoting him to the major-league roster for the first time on September 8.
With more at-bats to be had now that his fellow second baseman had been sent down, Arroyo showed glimpses of his potential and reminded everyone why the Giants took him with the 25th overall pick in the 2013 amateur draft.
In 14 games with the Red Sox, the Tampa native slashed .240/.296/.440 with three home runs and eight RBI over 54 plate appearances, which came with him primarily playing second and batting out of the nine-hole.
Those numbers certainly are not off the charts, and Arroyo would probably be one of the first people to tell you that. But again, the ex-Rays infielder had his moments, and those moments left Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom very impressed with someone he was already familiar with.
"I knew he was a fundamentally sound player," Bloom said of Arroyo's potential when speaking with The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams earlier this week. "I knew he had versatility and ability. At the plate, I saw him drive pitches that I've never seen him drive before. That was impressive to see. He had a very confident approach at the plate."
With all the uncertainties surrounding what the Red Sox will do at second base this offseason, Arroyo could emerge as a favorite to land the starting gig next spring. That possibility comes given the notion that Peraza will presumably get non-tendered, Dustin Pedroia will lose his 40-man roster spot, and top prospect Jeter Downs will begin the year in Triple-A.
All that being said, Bloom anticipates Arroyo will get more of a chance to show what he's capable of once position players report to Fenway South this coming February.
"We were able to give him an opportunity down the stretch but if you look at it in the grand scheme it was not a long [opportunity]," Bloom added. "But it's still a small sample. Certainly, what he did made you hungry for more."
Arroyo, who turns 26 in May, is under team control with the Red Sox through the end of the 2024 season.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on October 10, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags 2020 season, 2021 season, Baseball, boston, chaim bloom, christian arroyo, cleveland, dustin pedroia, giants, indians, jeter downs, jose peraza, mlb, mlb draft, mlb prospects, prospects, rays, red sox, san francisco giants, tampa bay, waiversLeave a comment on Christian Arroyo's Performance With Red Sox This Year Left Chaim Bloom 'Hungry for More' in 2021
Red Sox' Rafael Devers on Teammate Xander Bogaerts: 'He's Probably the Best Person I've Ever Met in My Life'
Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts arguably make up the best left side of any infield in the American League. Last year, the pair combined to hit 65 home runs and 106 doubles, becoming the first teammates to ever collect 30 long balls and 50 two-baggers in the same season.
On the field, the two Caribbean stars are as dominant as ever and may just be the best two players on the Red Sox now that Mookie Betts is in Los Angeles. Off the field, though, the two share a special bond, and that's mostly thanks to Bogaerts.
In a story from ESPN's Joon Lee highlighting Bogaerts' sense of leadership amid a worldwide pandemic, several players spoke highly of what the 27-year-old has meant for them. The players interviewed by Lee were mostly of the younger variety who have made their major-league debuts within the last three years, such as Michael Chavis, Darwinzon Hernandez, and of course, Devers.
In talking with Lee, the 23-year-old Devers credits Bogaerts for "helping him break out as a full-fledged star in 2019" while also acknowledging the fact that Bogaerts speaks multiple languages — English, Spanish, Dutch and Papiamento — and how that is a very helpful attribute to have in a diverse clubhouse.
"Out of everyone, he's probably the best person I've ever met in my life," Devers said of his Summer Camp suite-mate. "So the fact that he's always so happy and the fact that he does speak different languages helps bring everyone together."
Having a mentor like Bogaerts, who has seemingly risen to the role even more since signing a six-year, $120 million extension with Boston last spring, should be something all major-league clubs strive for.
Bogaerts experienced the growing pains a big-leaguer endures as a rookie back in 2013, and he calls back to the help he received from the veterans on that year's Red Sox team, such as David Ortiz, David Ross, Mike Napoli, and Dustin Pedroia, while passing down wisdom to his peers now.
"I remember I was scared. I was a little nervous, actually not a little nervous," said Bogaerts of his rookie year, when he was just 20 years old. "I was really nervous because I don't really want to mess up with all these big boys, and I wasn't used to a situation like that, but it all worked out great, man. It all worked out great. I learned a lot from them."
As it turns out, it would appear that Bogaerts did learn a lot from those guys on the 2013 team. And as he and the Red Sox prepare to embark on what's sure to be a bizarre 60-game season, that knowledge gained seven years ago will likely come in handy over the next few months.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on July 17, 2020 July 17, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags 2013, 2020 season, all-stars, Baseball, boston, david ortiz, david ross, dustin pedroia, espn, infielders, mike napoli, mlb, rafael devers, records, red sox, rookie, stars, xander bogaertsLeave a comment on Red Sox' Rafael Devers on Teammate Xander Bogaerts: 'He's Probably the Best Person I've Ever Met in My Life'
Red Sox' Eduardo Rodriguez Celebrates MLB's Opening Day at Home by Gaming
Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was more than likely going to make his first career Opening Day start against the Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. Instead, he, like the rest of Major League Baseball players, staff, and executives, is currently sitting at home in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has pushed back the start of the 2020 season by several weeks.
That did not stop the soon-to-be-27-year-old from suiting up in full uniform though, as he took to social media to promote MLB's 'Opening Day at Home' initiative that encouraged fans on Thursday to 'feel a sense of community and unity on a day many were looking forward to, while underscoring the importance of staying home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.'
An avid gamer and streamer, Rodriguez posted a video of himself on Instagram and Twitter putting on a gaming headset and tossing a PS4 controller up and down like a baseball with the caption, "When you don't want to get out of the routine but you only have video games #OpeningDay #StayatHome."
when you don't want to get out of the routine but you only have video games ⚾🤷🏻♂🎮 #openingday #stayathome pic.twitter.com/txJikhZWtn
— Eduardo Rodriguez (@eduardorod5) March 26, 2020
Recently, Rodriguez has been streaming Fortnite online with Xander Bogaerts, Xander's brother Jair, and former Red Sox outfielder Gorkys Hernandez.
You can follow Rodriguez on Twitch here. His PlayStation Network ID is 'thegualo', although he has yet to accept my friend request.
Bogaerts' PSN ID is 'thebogiestud2.' He, too, has not accepted my friend request.
UPDATE: Rodriguez is now streaming online with Dustin Pedroia. You can watch that here.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on March 26, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags Baseball, boston, coronavirus, dustin pedroia, eduardo rodriguez, gorkys hernandez, mlb, opening day, red sox, streaming, twitch, video games, xander bogaertsLeave a comment on Red Sox' Eduardo Rodriguez Celebrates MLB's Opening Day at Home by Gaming
Predicting the Red Sox' Opening Day Roster
One month from Wednesday, the Red Sox will open their 2020 season with the first of four against the Toronto Blue Jays north of border. As things stand right now, a solid portion of the club's 26-man Opening Day roster is set, but with questions surrounding injuries and depth aplenty, there could still be a handful of spots up for grabs.
With that, I thought it would be a good time to take a crack at what the Red Sox' Opening Day roster could look like this time next month. Let's get to it, shall we?
The Starting Rotation:
Eduardo Rodriguez
Nathan Eovaldi
Martin Perez
Ryan Weber
Kyle Hart
According to interim manager Ron Roenicke, left-hander Chris Sale might need to throw two live batting practice sessions before throwing in an actual game, leaving the 30-year-old's status for Opening Day up in the air since he wouldn't have a ton of time to ramp up his workload.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding Sale, that leaves two spots in Boston's rotation up for grabs. Right-hander Ryan Weber seems like a likely candidate, and I went with left-hander Kyle Hart over pitching prospect Tanner Houck for the fifth spot.
Hart, 27, was added to the Sox' 40-man roster back in November, while Houck, who is not on the 40-man roster, could use more time to develop as a starter in Triple-A.
Hector Velazquez and Brian Johnson have prior experience starting for the Red Sox, although Johnson would need to be added back to the 40-man roster after being outrighted in November.
Matt Barnes
Ryan Brasier
Brandon Workman
Darwinzon Hernandez
Heath Hembree
Marcus Walden
Austin Brice
As far as I am concerned, Barnes, Workman, Hernandez, Taylor, Hembree, and Walden are all locks to make the Opening Day roster.
Brasier struggled at times last year and has minor-league options remaining, while Brice, who was acquired from the Marlins last month, is out of options.
Outside candidates on the 40-man roster include Yoan Aybar, Matt Hall, Chris Mazza, Josh Osich, Mike Shawaryn, Jeffrey Springs, and Phillips Valdez.
The Catchers:
Christian Vazquez
Jonathan Lucroy
Although Kevin Plawecki is on a guaranteed deal for the 2020 season, it is only for $900,000, so it would not be a huge financial loss if the Sox went with Lucroy instead.
The two-time All-Star signed a minor-league deal with Boston earlier in February and has a far more impressive offensive track record than Plawecki does. He also appears to have a solid relationship with Roenicke from when the two were with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Infielders:
Mitch Moreland
Michael Chavis
Jose Peraza
Rafael Devers
Jonathan Arauz
Tzu-Wei Lin
Lin is out of options, and as a Rule 5 selection, Arauz would have to be offered back to the Astros if he does not stick on Boston's 26-man roster, so I believe those two will make it, especially with the defensive versatility Lin offers.
Bogaerts has been dealing with a sore left ankle since workouts began nearly two weeks ago, but it looks like that is a non-issue as far as his status for Opening Day is concerned.
Top prospect Bobby Dalbec is not listed here, but I would personally love to see him make it if he were to get adequate playing time at the big-league level. With Devers manning third and Moreland and Chavis handling first base duties though, that does not seem likely at this point.
Also, Dustin Pedroia will begin the year on the 60-day injured list.
The Outfielders:
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Kevin Pillar
J.D. Martinez
With Alex Verdugo likely to start the season on the injured list due to a lower back stress fracture, Kevin Pillar is likely to slide in as an everyday outfielder, which he is more than capable of doing.
As I mentioned, Lin, and even prospect C.J. Chatham, are capable of playing a little outfield if necessary. And the Red Sox may need a temporary fourth outfielder during Verdugo's absence if they do not want Martinez to spend too much time in the outfield.
So there you have it. 26 roster spots. 26 predictions with a whole lot of other possibilities as well. I'll leave you with my guess for what the Opening Day starting lineup could look like:
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
J.D. Martinez, DH
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Christian Vazquez, C
Michael Chavis, 2B
Kevin Pillar, RF
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on February 26, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags alex verdugo, Baseball, boston, bullpen, chaim bloom, chris sale, dustin pedroia, infield, jd martinez, mlb, opening day, outfielders, red sox, roster, spring training, starting rotationLeave a comment on Predicting the Red Sox' Opening Day Roster
Red Sox' Dustin Pedroia Suffers 'Significant Setback' With Left Knee
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has reportedly suffered a 'signigficant setback' with his left knee, according to The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham.
Breaking news: #RedSox 2B Dustin Pedroia has suffered what sources say was a significant setback with his left knee.
His availability for at least spring training is questionable. Pedroia is discussing his options with his family, agents, and the Sox.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) January 21, 2020
This news comes at a disappointing time, as it appeared that Pedroia was aiming to be ready for the start of the 2020 season as recently as this past November, when he was set to meet with Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and general manager Brian O'Halloran at his home in Arizona while the two were in town for the yearly GM meetings.
Fast forward a little more than three months later, and it seems as if the 36-year-old is now facing a life-altering decision based off Abraham's reporting above. Usually, when family, agents, and the team are involved, I would have to assume retirement is a potential option here.
It sucks. It really does. What happened in Baltimore on April 21st, 2017 forever altered the course of what looked to be a Hall of Fame career for Pedroia. Since the end of that 2017 season, the California native has played in just nine total games while undergoing three different procedures on his left knee.
Pedroia still has two years and approximately $25 million remaining on the eight-year, $110 million extension he signed with Boston back in July 2013, a deal that was worth well below his market value at the time.
For now, we'll have to monitor if either of Pedroia or the Red Sox make a statement regarding this matter. While we wait and see on that, I just want to make one thing clear: Dustin Pedroia should do what is best for Dustin Pedroia. Whether that be to step away or keep trying to play, he has earned the right to make the decision he feels is best for him and his family. I wish him nothing but the best going forward.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on January 21, 2020 January 21, 2020 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags arizona, Baseball, boston, brian o'halloran, chaim bloom, dustin pedroia, hall of fame, left knee, legend, mlb, red sox, retirementLeave a comment on Red Sox' Dustin Pedroia Suffers 'Significant Setback' With Left Knee
The 10 Best Red Sox Single-Season Performances of the 2010s
With the 2010s quickly coming to a close, I thought it would be interesting to look back on the decade that was for the Red Sox. In this first installment, we'll start with the best single-season performances for Red Sox position players and pitchers alike from 2010 up until 2019. Let's get to it.
10. Chris Sale's 2018 season (6.2 fWAR)
It may have been shortened due to left shoulder inflammation, but Sale's second season with the Red Sox was something to behold. In 27 starts for the eventual World Series champs, the left-hander posted a dazzling 2.11 ERA and 2.31 xFIP over 158 innings of work, all while punching out more than 38% of the hitters he faced in 2018.
Sale also recorded the final three outs of the World Series against the Dodgers that year. Not a bad way to wrap up what could have been a Cy Young Award-winning campaign had he stayed healthy all the way through.
9. Adrian Gonzalez's 2011 season (6.2 fWAR)
Gonzalez might not have spent much time with Boston, but the first baseman made his only full season with the Red Sox count, slashing .338/.410/.548 with 27 home runs and 177 RBI while leading the American League in hits (217) in an All-Star year.
Acquired from the Padres in exchange for a package headlined by Anthony Rizzo, Gonzalez and the Sox agreed to a seven-year, $154 million contract extension that April, but eventually shipped him off to the Dodgers in a blockbuster trade more than a year later.
8. Adrian Beltre's 2010 season (6.4 fWAR)
Next month will mark the 10-year anniversary of the Red Sox and Beltre agreeing to a one-year, $10 million deal for the 2010 season, and what a season it was for the veteran third baseman looking to reset his value.
In 154 games that year, Beltre slashed .321/.365/.553 with 28 homers and 102 RBI to go along with a league-leading 49 doubles.
Ultimately finishing ninth in American League MVP voting, the Dominican Republic native went on to sign a five-year, $80 million deal with the Rangers, leaving many to wonder what could have been had Beltre remained in Boston past 2010.
7. Mookie Betts' 2019 season (6.6 fWAR)
After taking home his first MVP Award the previous year, many would describe Betts' 2019 as a "down" season. But in reality, the 27-year-old was as impressive as ever, slashing .295/.391/.524 with 29 home runs, 80 RBI, and a league-leading 135 runs scored over 150 games played.
Defensively speaking, Betts notched his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award for American League right fielders in what might have been his last full season in Boston depending on what happens between now and this coming July.
6. Xander Bogaerts' 2019 season (6.8 fWAR)
Speaking of this year's Red Sox team, Bogaerts really took it to another level both on and off the field in 2019 after agreeing to a six-year, $120 million extension back in early April.
Playing in 155 games this season, the All-Star shortstop slashed .309/.384/.555 to go along with a career-best 33 homers and 117 RBI. Those numbers landed the 27-year-old his third career Silver Slugger Award as well as fifth-place finish in AL MVP voting.
5. Chris Sale's 2017 season (7.6 fWAR)
Turning back to the pitching now, Sale made quite the first impression in his first season in a Red Sox uniform.
After coming over in a blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox the previous December, the left-hander posted a 2.90 ERA and league-leading 2.45 FIP over 32 games started and a league-leading 214 1/3 innings of work.
Not to mention he also struck out 308 of the 851 batters he faced in what wind up netting Sale a second-place finish in AL Cy Young voting and ninth-place finish in MVP voting.
4. Dustin Pedroia's 2011 season (7.9 fWAR)
Due to a historic September collapse, the 2011 season may be one the Red Sox would like to forget about, but it still netted a decent amount of positive individual performances statistically speaking.
Adrian Gonzalez's season is one we already discussed, and now it's on to Dustin Pedroia.
In his age-27 season, the second baseman slashed .307/.387/.474 with a career-best 21 home runs, 91 runs driven in, 26 stolen bases, and 86 walks over 159 games played, all of which came at second base.
Offensively and defensively, Pedroia was the best second baseman in all of baseball that season, as he earned his second of four career Gold Glove Awards while finishing ninth in American League MVP voting.
3. Mookie Betts' 2016 season. (8.3 fWAR)
Oh look, it's Mookie Betts again. We already talked about what the 2018 AL MVP did this past season, but now it's time to talk about when the then 23-year-old truly broke out.
Opening the 2016 campaign by making his second straight Opening Day Roster, Betts followed up an impressive first full season by being even better the next.
In 158 games, the first-time All-Star slashed .318/.363/.534 to go along with 31 homers and a career-best 113 RBI, all while leading the American League in total bases with 359 of them on the season.
2016 was the first step in Betts earning the unofficial title of "the best outfielder in baseball not named Mike Trout," as the Tennessee native finished right behind the Angels star in MVP voting while also taking home his first career Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards that year.
2. Jacoby Ellsbury's 2011 season (9.5 fWAR)
Ellsbury may have just been cut loose after a mostly disappointing six-year tenure with the Yankees, but let's not forget that from the time he made his first Opening Day roster in 2008 up until his departure in 2013, the Oregon State University product was a top-five outfielder in the American League in his time with the Red Sox.
Looking at his 2011 season more specifically, Ellsbury posted a .321/.376/.552 slash line to go along with a career-high 32 homers and 105 RBI over 158 games played.
Many wonder if Ellsbury would have won AL MVP in 2011 had it not been for his club's historic collapse in September. Instead, the Tigers' Justin Verlander took home the award, while Ellsbury took home his first career Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards.
1. Mookie Betts' 2018 season (10.4 fWAR)
Finally, we arrive at the only Red Sox player to win an MVP Award this decade in Betts, who put together a monster 2018 season, which also happens to arguably be the greatest season in Sox history.
Playing in 136 games and batting primarily out of the leadoff spot, Betts slashed .346/.438/.640 with a career-high 32 home runs and 80 RBI while pacing the American League in runs scored with 129 of them on the season.
In terms of MVP voting, it was not particularily close, as the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award-winning outfielder received 28 of 30 first-place votes.
According to FanGraphs, Betts accrued 10.4 fWAR in 2018, the highest total from one single season this decade. In short, the Tennessee native is very good at baseball.
Because I used FanGraphs' fWAR metric to compile this list, David Ortiz's 2016 season and J.D. Martinez's 2018 season did not make the cut.
Also, Rick Porcello is the only Sox pitcher this decade to win a Cy Young Award, which he accomplished in 2016, so that deserves a shout out in its own right.
Author Brendan CampbellPosted on December 19, 2019 Categories Baseball, Sports, UncategorizedTags adrian beltre, adrian gonzalez, Baseball, boston, chris sale, cy young award, david ortiz, dustin pedroia, gold glove, jacoby ellsbury, jd martinez, mlb, mookie betts, mvp, red sox, rick porcello, seasons, silver slugger, xander bogaertsLeave a comment on The 10 Best Red Sox Single-Season Performances of the 2010s


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\section{Introduction}

Rare earth ions doped into inorganic crystals have recently been considered for use in the field of quantum information processing \cite{Longdell2004a,Ohlsson2002,Nilsson2005,Longdell2005,Ichimura2001,Hetet2008}. These materials are promising as they offer very long coherence times in both the hyperfine \cite{Fraval2005} and optical transitions \cite{Equall1994}. Currently the majority of quantum information processing demonstrations have been performed in crystals doped with either praseodymium or europium. Unfortunately these materials can only be optically addressed with dye-lasers.  The task to stabilize these lasers to the sub-kHz linewidths required for quantum information processing experiments is so challenging that only a few groups in the world have achieved such laser sources \cite{Klieber2003, Sellars1994,Julsgaard2007}.

Another disadvantage of praseodymium and europium doped crystals is the small hyperfine splitting, which is of the order of ten's of MHz.  This small separation limits possible quantum information storage demonstrations in these crystals as the bandwidth of existing quantum sources does not match this narrow hyperfine splitting.  It is therefore worthwile to investigate other rare earth ions which do not suffer these disadvantages.

One such promising rare earth ion is thulium.  The wavelength of thulium is 793~nm which falls in the range of easily stabilized semi-conductor lasers.   The only isotope of thulium has an $I=1/2$ nuclear spin but unfortunately does not exhibit hyperfine structure due to $J$ quenching \cite{Abragam1970}.  It has proven possible to create a 3-level $\Lambda$-system in this material via the application of a magnetic field with a particular orientation \cite{Louchet2007}. The advantage of this $\Lambda$-system is that it possesses an adjustable ground state hyperfine splitting via the magnitude of the applied magnetic field.  Thus Tm$^{3+}$:YAG does not suffer from a limited bandwidth for possible quantum information applications and is optically accessible with easily stabilized lasers.

There has been a startling lack of investigation into Raman coherent processes in this material.  The first nuclear spin coherence via optical excitation has only recently been demonstrated \cite{Louchet2008} and it is certainly obvious that these types of processes need to be studied further if this material is to be useful for quantum information processing applications.  Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) \cite{Gaubatz1990,Schiemann1993} is one such coherent process which deserves attention in this material.  It provides complete coherent population transfer in a $\Lambda$-system without suffering from radiative losses and is robust against slight pulse variations.  STIRAP is thus important in the field of quantum information processing for use in the preparation and manipulation of ions.

In this paper we will first discuss the theory of STIRAP using the simple 3-level $\Lambda$-system at two-photon resonance.  We will then present numerical simulations of the full Tm:$^{3+}$:YAG level structure alongside simulations of the simple 3-level $\Lambda$-system.  Following this will be a presentation of experimental and numerical results along with discussion and conclusions.

\section{Theory}
For a simplified discussion of STIRAP we consider the 3-level $\Lambda$-system shown in Fig.~\ref{Lambda}.  The objective is to efficiently transfer population from level $\ket{1}$ to level $\ket{3}$ via the use of two temporally overlapping laser pulses.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=3cm]{Figure1}
\caption{Three level $\Lambda$-system where the ground state hyperfine levels are split by $\Delta_{g}$.  The optical, or one-photon, detuning is labelled $\Delta$ and is the frequency difference between the Stokes pulse and the transition $\ket{3}$-$\ket{2}$.  The two-photon detuning is labelled $\delta$ and is the frequency difference between the pump pulse and two-photon resonance.  The Rabi frequencies of the pump and Stokes pulses are labelled $\Omega_{p}$ and $\Omega_{s}$ respectively.}\label{Lambda}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

The ground state hyperfine levels are split by $\Delta_{g}$.  The detuning between the Stokes pulse and optical resonance is denoted $\Delta$ and is referred to as the optical or one-photon detuning.  The detuning of the pump pulse from two-photon resonance is denoted $\delta$ and corresponds to the two-photon detuning.  In the simplified case we assume that $\delta=0$, ie. we are at two-photon resonance.  The system is initially prepared with all the population in level $\ket{1}$ and two, non-simultaneous, laser pulses are applied.  The Stokes pulse, applied first, excites the, initially empty, transition $\ket{3}-\ket{2}$ and the pump pulse, appplied temporally overlapping the Stokes pulse, excites the transition $\ket{1}-\ket{2}$.  The pump and Stokes pulses have the following, respective, Rabi frequencies: $\Omega_{p}=-\mu_{12}\varepsilon_{p}(t)/\hbar$ and $\Omega_{s}=-\mu_{32}\varepsilon_{s}(t)/\hbar$.  The dipole transition moments are the $\mu_{ij}$'s and the applied, time-dependent, electric fields of the laser pulses are the $\varepsilon_{s,p}(t)$'s.

The eigenstates of the instantaneous RWA Hamiltonian of this system are well known and are given by the following linear combinations of the bare states $\ket{1}$, $\ket{2}$ and $\ket{3}$:
\begin{eqnarray}
\ket{a^{+}}&=&\sin\theta\sin\phi\ket{1}+\cos\phi\ket{2}+\cos\theta\sin\phi\ket{3} \nonumber \\
\ket{a^{0}}&=&\cos\theta\ket{1}-\sin\theta\ket{3} \nonumber \\
\ket{a^{-}}&=&\sin\theta\cos\phi\ket{1}-\sin\phi\ket{2}+\cos\theta\cos\phi\ket{3}
\end{eqnarray}
where the time-dependent mixing angles, $\theta$ and $\phi$, are given by:
\begin{eqnarray}
\tan\theta&=&\frac{\Omega_{p}(t)}{\Omega_{s}(t)} \nonumber \\
\tan2\phi&=&\frac{\sqrt{\Omega_{p}^{2}(t)+\Omega_{s}^{2}(t)}}{\Delta}
\end{eqnarray}
and we have the following time-dependent, dressed state eigenvalues:
\begin{eqnarray}
\omega^{0}&=&0 \nonumber \\
\omega^{\pm}(t)&=&\Delta/2\pm 1/2\sqrt{\Delta^{2}+\Omega_{p}^{2}(t)+\Omega_{s}^{2}(t)}
\end{eqnarray}

After examining the eigenstates it is obvious that two dressed states, $\ket{a^{\pm}}$, contain the `leaky' bare state $\ket{2}$.  Thus these dressed states cannot be used for complete population transferral as some population will be promoted to the excited level, $\ket{2}$, where it will experience radiative losses and therefore be lost to the final state $\ket{3}$.

Inspection of the dressed state $\ket{a^{0}}$, known as the `dark' state as it contains no component of the electronic excited state, demonstrates that it should be possible to perform efficient population transferral using this state.  If the Stokes pulse is applied before the pump pulse then at time $t\rightarrow -\infty$ we have the mixing angle $\theta=0^{\circ}$ and the dressed state $\ket{a^{0}}$ corresponds to the bare, populated, state $\ket{1}$.  At the end of the interaction, at time $t\rightarrow\infty$, where the pump pulse has been applied after the Stokes pulse, we have a mixing angle of $\theta=90^{\circ}$ and the state $\ket{a^{0}}$ corresponds to the bare state $\ket{3}$.

This implies that provided the evolution of the system is adiabatic and that the Stokes pulse preceedes the pump pulse the system will remain in the $\ket{a^{0}}$ state, or the `dark' state, throughout the interaction. Hence the population initially in level $\ket{1}$ will be transferred into level $\ket{3}$ whilst never populating level $\ket{2}$.  Thus the population transferral does not depend on either the optical coherence lifetime or the decay rate from the upper level provided the adiabacity condition is satisfied.

The adiabaticity condition requires the energy spacing between the eigenvalues to be much larger than the dynamic coupling term, given by $\dot{\theta}(t)$, where the overdot represents the time derivative.  The adiabacity condition is \cite{Kuklinski1989}:
\begin{equation}
\left|\frac{\dot{\Omega}_{p}\Omega_{s}-\Omega_{p}\dot{\Omega}_{s}}{\Omega_{p}^{2}+\Omega_{s}^{2}}\right|\ll\left|\frac{\Delta}{2}\pm\frac{\sqrt{\Delta^{2}+\Omega_{p}^{2}(t)+\Omega_{s}^{2}(t)}}{2}\right| \label{adiabat}
\end{equation}
Thus for any given shape of the laser pulses, $\Omega_{p}$ and $\Omega_{s}$, the adiabacity condition can be evaluated at any time, $t$.

At optical resonance this adiabacity condition is generally satisfied, for smooth pulses, if:
\begin{equation}
\Omega_{eff}\tau\gg 1
\label{near_cond}
\end{equation}
where $\tau$ is the pulse duration and the effective Rabi frequency is:
\begin{equation}
\Omega_{eff}=\sqrt{\Omega_{p}^{2}+\Omega_{s}^{2}}
\end{equation}
Far from optical resonance the adiabatic condition, for smooth pulses, becomes instead:
\begin{equation}
\Omega_{eff}^{2}\tau\gg \left|\Delta\right|
\label{far_cond}
\end{equation}
which sets both an upper limit on the optical detuning and a lower limit on the Rabi frequencies for which population transferral is efficient.  Therefore carefully selected pump and Stokes pulses, tuned to two-photon resonance, will transfer population adiabatically over a spectral range given by the adiabacity condition of Eqn.~\ref{far_cond}.

The eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the Hamiltonian involving a non-zero two-photon detuning, $\delta$, are much more complicated than those of the two-photon resonance case.  These eigenvectors and eigenvalues are explicitly solved in Ref.~\cite{Fewell1997} in which it is demonstrated that all three eigenvectors contain a contribution of the excited state level.  It was also shown that away from two-photon resonance there is no adiabatic state which connects the initial bare state at the beginning of the sequence with the desired final bare state at the end of the interaction \cite{Fewell1997}.  This implies that adiabatic processes are not the means for population transferral in this type of system.  When two-photon detuning is present the majority of the population is instead transferred via diabatic processes which involve transisitions between the adiabatic states.

\section{Simulations}

Simulations of the Tm$^{3+}$:YAG system were performed in order to aid our understanding of the system.  The full Tm$^{3+}$:YAG level scheme is actually quite simple when compared to that of the full praseodymium and europium systems.  Praseodymium and europium both have a nuclear spin of $I=5/2$ and thus when in a magnetic field the level scheme consists of six energy levels in both the ground and excited electronic states.  Thulium on the other hand has a nuclear spin of $I=1/2$ and therefore when it is placed in a magnetic field the energy level structure is much simpler, consisting of only two Zeeman energy levels in both the ground and excited electronic states.

This simple energy level structure of Tm$^{3+}$:YAG, displayed in Fig.~\ref{4level}, is thus easy to completely model, even when including the additional metastable energy level.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=5cm]{Figure2}
\caption{Level structure of Tm$^{3+}$:YAG in a magnetic field, the ground and excited electronic states are split into two Zeeman levels which are labelled with their nominal nuclear spin numbers.  The ground and excited state hyperfine splittings, labelled $\Delta_{g}$ and $\Delta_{e}$ respectively, are dependent on the magnitude of the applied magnetic field, with $\Delta_{e}=\Delta_{g}/2.5$.  The two-photon detuning and the Rabi frequencies of the transitions are as described in the 3-level system.  The optical detuning is the frequency difference between the Stokes pulse and the transition $\ket{3}$-$\ket{4}$.}\label{4level}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}
In the full Tm$^{3+}$:YAG level structure the ground and excited state splittings are labelled as $\Delta_{g}$ and $\Delta_{e}$ respectively, and are dependent on the magnitude of the applied magnetic field, with $\Delta_{e}$ = $\Delta_{g}/$2.5.  The optical detuning, $\Delta$, and the two-photon detuning, $\delta$, are as defined in the previous section.

One complication to the Tm$^{3+}$:YAG model arises from the fact that the Stokes and pump pulses can excite all four optical transitions.  This is possible due to the lack of polarisation selectivity of the optical transitions and the mixing of the nuclear spin states, which relaxes the spin selection rule, $\Delta m=0$.  This relaxation results in the spin-flip transitions, $\ket{3}$-$\ket{2}$ and $\ket{1}$-$\ket{4}$, having a transition dipole moment of 0.37 times that of the transitions not involving a spin-flip \cite{Seze2006}.  The nominal nuclear spin labels in Fig.~\ref{4level} thus represent the strong and weak transitions.

Whilst the Stokes and pump pulses are applied with equal intensities the Rabi frequencies of the transitions are different depending on which transition is being excited.  The Rabi frequency of the weak transition is 0.37 times the value of the Rabi frequency of the strong transition.  In all the following discussions the Rabi frequency listed is that of the strong transition.

The metastable state in Fig.~\ref{4level} is included as a kind of reservoir in the model.  This state has a much longer radiative lifetime, of 10~ms \cite{Macfarlane1993a}, compared to that of the optical excited level, of 800~$\mu$s \cite{Macfarlane1993}.  In addition to this, most of the population in the optical excited level decays to the metastable state rather than the ground state, in a ratio of 3:1 \cite{Seze2005}.

The optical Bloch equations for this full energy level scheme, including the metastable state and the fact that multiple transitions are excited by the pump and Stokes pulses, are numerically solved in the interaction picture.  We have also included population and coherence decay terms in the equations and the transfer efficiency is determined 300~$\mu$s after the application of the pump pulse.  The Stokes and pump pulses both have a Gaussian lineshape with a FWHM (of intensity) of 30/$\sqrt{2}$~$\mu$s and a pulse delay of -17~$\mu$s, with the Stokes pulse preceding the pump pulse.

In Fig.~\ref{NoInt_transfer_width} we compare the optical detuning scans obtained from the 4-level model described above and the standard 3-level model of the level structure shown in Fig.~\ref{Lambda}.  This 3-level model is simply the numerical solution to the standard optical Bloch equations where we have included dephasing and relaxation terms and the fact that we have a strong and weak transition.  Both these simulations were performed at two-photon resonance, ie. at $\delta=0$.  In this case the transfer efficiency is determined from the population difference between the excited level, level $\ket{4}$ in the 4-level model, and level $\ket{3}$.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{Figure3}
\caption{(colour online) The optical detuning scan from the 4-level model, dashed line (red), and the standard 3-level model, solid line (black).  In this case the excited state splitting was 2.84~MHz, the Rabi frequency on the strong transition was 510~kHz, the pulse duration was 30/$\sqrt{2}$~$\mu$s and the pulse delay was -17~$\mu$s.  These models were both performed at two-photon resonance and we record the transfer efficiency at each optical detuning value, $\Delta$.}\label{NoInt_transfer_width}
\end{figure}

Looking at only the one-photon linewidth centred at $\Delta$~=~0MHz in Fig.~\ref{NoInt_transfer_width} for the 3-level and 4-level models we see that the introduction of the fourth level and the multiple excitations of the transitions results in an asymmetry to the one-photon lineshape as well as reducing the overall linewidth.  The one-photon linewidth (FWHM) of the 4-level model is 1.3~MHz as compared to 1.5~MHz for the 3-level model.  From the particular pulse parameters used here the adiabacity criterion of Eqn.~\ref{far_cond} reduces to 6.3~MHz $\gg\left|\Delta\right|$.  The linewidths of both the models agree with this criterion but this equation does not explain the asymmetry to the 4-level model.

In Fig.~\ref{NoInt_transfer_width} we also see the contributions from both $\Lambda$-systems in the 4-level model.  At $\Delta$~=~0~MHz we are on-resonance with the excited state level $\ket{4}$ whilst at $\Delta$~=~2.48~MHz we are now on-resonance with the other $\Lambda$-system, with the excited state level $\ket{2}$.  It can be seen in this figure that the maximum transfer efficiency is the same for both $\Lambda$-systems even though the Rabi frequencies of the Stokes and pump pulses have been switched.  It is thought that the transfer efficiency dramatically decreases at $\Delta$~=~1.24~MHz, the midway point between the two excited state levels, due to an interference effect between these two $\Lambda$-systems.  It is this interference effect which causes the asymmetry and reduced linewidth of the 4-level model over the 3-level.

In Fig.~\ref{contour} is shown the transfer efficiency determined from the 4-level model as both the one- and two-photon detunings are varied.  The effect of the second excited state hyperfine level can be seen in this figure.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=10cm]{Figure4}
\caption{The transfer efficiency determined from the 4-level model for different values of the two-photon and optical detunings for an excited state splitting of 2.84~MHz, a Rabi frequency of 300~kHz and a pulse delay of -17~$\mu$s.}\label{contour}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}
The efficient population transfer centered at $\Delta=0$ is due to the pump and Stokes pulses being optically resonant with level $\ket{4}$ of Fig.~\ref{4level}.  Whilst the efficient transfer centered at $\Delta=$~2.84~MHz is due to the pump and Stokes pulses being applied nearly resonant with level $\ket{2}$ of Fig.~\ref{4level}, the second excited state hyperfine level.  The lack of population transfer for optical detuning values between these two levels is thought to be due to the interference effect of the two $\Lambda$-systems.

We also compare the standard 3-level model and the 4-level model described above for a two-photon detuning scan.  In this case we perform the simulations at optical resonance, ie. at $\Delta=0$, whilst we vary the frequency difference between the pump pulse and two-photon resonance, $\delta$.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{Figure5}
\caption{(colour online) Two-photon detuning scan at optical resonance, $\Delta=0$.  The solid line (black) is the simulation of the standard 3-level model and the dashed line (red) is the result from the 4-level model.  In these models the Rabi frequency on the strong transition was 400~kHz, the ground state splitting was 7.1~MHz, the excited state splitting was 2.84~MHz and the pulse delay was -17~$\mu$s.}\label{Scan}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

We see in Fig.~\ref{Scan} that the addition of the fourth level makes less difference to the two-photon detuning scan than it did for the optical detuning scan.  The two-photon linewidth is again slightly narrower for the 4-level model. The two-photon linewidth (FWHM) of the 3-level model is 360~kHz whilst that of the 4-level is 320~kHz and there is again a slight asymmetry to the 4-level lineshape.  Adiabatic population transferral can only occur at two-photon resonance.  Thus, we see in Fig.~\ref{Scan} that there is a large amount of population transferral due to non-adiabatic, or diabatic, transitions in both models.

\section{Experimental Set-Up}

When performing STIRAP experimentally the system is excited with an extended cavity semi-conductor laser operating at 793~nm.  It is stabilized with a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity via a Pound-Drever-Hall servoloop with a frequency stabilisation of 200~Hz over 10~ms \cite{Crozatier2004}. The laser is then amplified with a semi-conductor tapered amplifier (Toptica BoosTA).  The experimental set-up is shown in Fig~\ref{exp}.  AOMs 1 and 2 are arranged in a double-pass configuration so that the light on the sample is not spatially shifted with a frequency shift.  These AOMs are driven by a dual-channel 1~Gigasample/s arbitrary waveform generator (Tektronix AWG520) which can produce arbitrary amplitude and phase shaping.

After passing back through the polarizing beam-splitter a common polarization is given to both components via a Glan prism.  This recombined beam is then coupled into a 2~m long single-mode fibre.  The light polarization direction is optimized with a half-wave plate to ensure maximum Rabi frequency.  This beam is then focussed onto the 0.1~at.\% Tm$^{3+}$:YAG sample which is 5~mm in the light propagation direction.  The sample is cooled to 1.8~K in an Oxford 6T Spectromag SM4 cryostat.

After the cryostat the beam passes through a 50~$\mu$m pinhole and is then imaged onto an avalanche photodiode (Hamamatsu C5460).  The Gaussian shaped cross-section of the laser beam means that those ions positioned at the edge of the beam diameter do not experience the maximum Rabi frequency.  The pinhole ensures only those ions in the centre of the beam and thus subjected to the maximum Rabi frequency of the pump and Stokes pulses are probed.  A final AOM protects the detector from strong light pulses.

The applied magnetic field, generated by superconducting coils, is applied in the direction optimizing the branching ratio \cite{Louchet2007}.  The magnitude of this applied magnetic field determines the splitting of the hyperfine levels.  The ground state splitting is given by 41~MHz/T with an excited state splitting of 16~MHz/T \cite{Louchet2008}.  The magnitude of this applied field was of the order of 0.2-0.5~T.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=7cm]{Figure6}
\caption{Experimental set-up of the system, acousto-optic modulators are labelled as AOM.  AOM1 and 2 are arranged in a double-pass arrangement so the light on the crystal is not spatially shifted when the frequency changes.  These double-pass AOMs are centred on 110~MHz (AA OptoElectronics) and provide the pump, Stokes, probe and preparation pulses.  AOM3 is used as a gate to protect the detector from the intense preparatory and Gaussian-shaped pulses.}\label{exp}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

The inhomogeneous width of the optical transition is $\sim$25~GHz which is much larger than the hyperfine level splitting.  Thus a single laser frequency can drive transitions in different ensembles of ions at the same time.  In order to drive and probe the STIRAP process in a single ensemble of thulium ions with a well-defined transition frequency we perform a preparation sequence based on optical hole burning.

The preparation sequence consists of repeated burning over a range of 3~MHz via scanning the laser.  This optical pumping creates a trench in the absorption profile.  After this preparation sequence the pump and Stokes pulses are applied.  The frequency of the Stokes pulse is chosen such as to place it in the centre of this created transmission window and thus initially it experiences no absorption.  All the population is initially in level $\ket{1}$ of Fig~\ref{4level}, which is a necessary requirement for STIRAP.

The pump pulse is applied at a frequency outside this transmission window and the frequency difference between the Stokes and pump pulses matches the ground state splitting of the system, $\Delta_{g}$.  After STIRAP has modified the population distribution the absorption of a weak probe pulse provides a measurement of the population difference between the final level $\ket{3}$ and the optical excited state.

The temporal profiles of the Stokes and pump pulses are nominally Gaussians, but there was a saturation effect from one of the AOMs with altered the shape of the Stokes pulse thus changing the Gaussian profile.  The FWHM of intensity for the two pulses was nominally 30/$\sqrt{2}$~$\mu$s.  The delay between the pump and Stokes pulses is variable, but is -17~$\mu$s, unless otherwise stated, with the Stokes pulse preceeding the pump pulse.  The probe pulse has a rectangular profile with a pulse duration of 1~ms, during which the frequency is scanned over 20~MHz, and is applied 300~$\mu$s after the pump pulse. In the interaction region of the crystal the pump, preparation and Stokes beams all have a beam diameter of 110~$\mu$m.

Shown in Fig.~\ref{spec} is a typical experimental spectrum recording the transmission of the weak probe pulse as its frequency is scanned.  The overlapping red line is the expected probe transmission for this particular optical density after the preparation and STIRAP pulse sequences have been applied.  In this case the ground state splitting was $\Delta_{g}$ = 4.55~MHz and the excited state splitting was $\Delta_{e}$ = 1.82~MHz.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{Figure7}
\caption{(colour online) A typical experimental scan of the transferred population where $\nu_{pr}$ is the probe frequency, $\nu_{s}$ is the Stokes frequency, $\nu_{p}$ is the pump frequency and $\Delta_{e}$ is the excited state hyperfine splitting.  The ground state splitting was $\Delta_{g}$ = 4.55~MHz with an associated excited state splitting of $\Delta_{e} = $ 1.82~MHz.  The Rabi frequency of the strong transition was 1~MHz.  The black line is the experimental output whilst the red line is a fit to the experimental scan for this particular optical density.}\label{spec}
\end{figure}

The various trenches of either increased or decreased transmission are related to the initial preparation step of the sequence.   After the preparation sequence there is increased transmission around the Stokes frequency, $\nu_{s}$, associated with the population having been optically pumped into the other ground state hyperfine level.  Correspondingly there is decreased transmission around the pump frequency, $\nu_{p}$, associated with the increased population in this level.  The decreased transmission also seen around $\nu_{s}-\Delta_{g}$ is due to the symmetrical nature of the holeburning spectrum.

The preparation sequence actually creates two ensembles of thulium ions participating in the STIRAP sequence.  One ensemble is that displayed in Fig.~\ref{4level} where the Stokes pulse is applied on the strong transition.  The other ensemble is the opposite case, where the Stokes pulse is nearly resonant with the weak transition.  In each ensemble the situation is the opposite for the pump pulse.

The STIRAP sequence of the temporally overlapping Stokes and pump pulses modifies this initial population distribution and the associated STIRAP absorption and transmission features are observed overlaid on the preparation trenches.

The main STIRAP absorption feature is observed at the Stokes frequency which contains contributions from both ensembles of ions.  A STIRAP absorption feature is also seen at the Stokes frequency plus the excited state splitting, $\nu_{s}+\Delta_{e}$, which contains contributions from the ensemble where the Stokes pulse interacts with a strong transition.  There should also be a STIRAP absorption feature at $\nu_{s}-\Delta_{e}$, but the contributions to this feature only occur from the ensemble where the Stokes pulse interacts with a weak transition and thus is much smaller than the features at $\nu_{s}$ and $\nu_{s}+\Delta_{e}$.

The corresponding STIRAP transmission features are observed at the pump frequency and at the pump frequency minus the excited state splitting, $\nu_{p}-\Delta_{e}$.  Again the absorption feature which should be observed at $\nu_{p}+\Delta_{e}$ contains contributions solely from the ensemble where the pump pulse interacts with a weak transition.

The important intensity levels are labelled I$_{1}$, I$_{2}$ and I$_{3}$ in Fig.~\ref{spec}.  I$_{1}$ corresponds to equal population in the two hyperfine ground state levels, $\ket{1}$ and $\ket{3}$, I$_{2}$ corresponds to the amount of transferred population in level $\ket{3}$ after the STIRAP sequence, whilst I$_{3}$ corresponds to zero population in the final level $\ket{3}$.  With these three intensity levels it is thus possible to determine the transfer efficiency using Beer's law.  In this case the transfer efficiency was $\sim$94\%.

The level scheme in Fig.~\ref{exp_levels} demonstrates how our method of optical detection functions.  The STIRAP experiment performed here is actually a two step process.  First we perform STIRAP.  The two-photon detuning and the ground state splitting are related to the pump-Stokes detuning by $\Delta_{g}-\delta = \nu_{p}-\nu_{s}$.  The ground state splitting is fixed by the applied magnetic field amplitude.  However, due to the inhomogeneous width of the ground state hyperfine transition in our system, the external field can only set an average value, $\langle\Delta_{g}\rangle$.  Therefore, the given pump and probe frequencies can only specify an average value of the two-photon detuning, given by $\langle\delta\rangle=\langle\Delta_{g}\rangle+\nu_{s}-\nu_{p}$.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=6cm]{Figure8}
\caption{Experimental level scheme, this is the simplified scheme of that shown in Fig.~\ref{4level} where we have removed level $\ket{2}$ for ease of reference.  The Stokes and pump pulses are optically resonant with a particular $\Lambda$ scheme comprising of levels $\ket{1}$, $\ket{3}$ and $\ket{i}$.  The probe pulse is then scanned and interacts with different $\Lambda$-systems with optical detunings of $\Delta$, determined during the STIRAP step.  The ground state splitting and two-photon detuning values, $\langle\Delta_{g}\rangle$ and $\langle\delta\rangle$, are average values due to the Raman inhomogeneous braodening present in our system.}\label{exp_levels}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

In the second step we scan the frequency of the weak probe pulse, $\nu_{pr}$.  The probe field precisely selects the ions with a definite value of the STIRAP optical detuning, $\Delta$, given by $\Delta$ = $\nu_{pr}-\nu_{s}$.  Indeed the probing spectral resolution is given by the homogeneous width, which amounts to a few kHz.  When $\nu_{pr}=\nu_{s}$ we are at optical resonance and the maximum transfer efficiency is observed.

In Pr$^{3+}$:Y$_{2}$SiO$_{5}$ the inhomogeneous broadening of the hyperfine transition is small with respect to the practical Rabi frequencies.  Therefore, as far as STIRAP is concerned, the two-photon detuning is precisely defined by the pump and Stokes frequency difference, $\nu_{p}-\nu_{s}$.  Specifically, appropriate adjustment of this frequency difference can lead to two-photon resonance \cite{Klein2007a, Goto2006}.  In Tm$^{3+}$:YAG, the Raman inhomogeneous width grows with the magnitude of the applied magnetic field at the large rate of $\sim$400~kHz/T.  Hence the incidence of this inhomogeneous broadening on the STIRAP efficiency has to be examined.

\section{Results and Discussion}

We will first present initial investigations of STIRAP in Tm$^{3+}$:YAG, characterising the transfer efficiency and the one- and two-photon detuning scans.  Following these initial STIRAP investigations we will present numerical and experimental data demonstrating the effect of the inhomogeneous width and Rabi frequency on both the maximum transfer efficiency and the two-photon linewidth of this system.

In our first experiment we varied the delay between the Stokes and pump pulses, covering both the Stokes preceding the pump, negative delays, and the pump preceeding the Stokes, positive delays.  The resulting transfer efficiencies were monitored for these different pulse orderings and are the squares displayed in Fig~\ref{scan}.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{Figure9}
\caption{(colour online) We vary the delay between the Stokes and pump pulses.  The dashed line (red) is the delay scan of the standard 4-level model whilst the dash-dot line (blue) is the 4-level model where we have included the inhomogeneous width to the Raman transition, henceforth to be labelled 4-level+, and the squares are the experimental data.  The ground state splitting was $\Delta_{g}$ = 4.55~MHz, the inhomogeneous width of the Raman transition was $\sim$50~kHz, the Rabi frequency of the strong transition was 1~MHz and the pulse widths were 30/$\sqrt{2}$~$\mu$s.  The simulations were performed at both optical and two-photon resonance.}\label{scan}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

We see that for optimum negative delays the experimental transfer efficiency reaches nearly 100\%.  Significant population transferral is also observed for positive delays, where the pump precedes the Stokes pulse.  In both these cases the population transferral is significantly larger than that transferred when the pump and Stokes pulses are applied coincident. The maxima in the experimentally measured transferred population show the characteristic plateaus which are a signature of the STIRAP process.  These plateaus imply that the transferral process is robust against small pulse variations.

In Fig.~\ref{scan} we see that the maximum transfer efficiency occurs when the pulse separation of the Stokes and pump pulses is equal to the pulse width, at delay$\sim$-21~$\mu$s.  It has been previously discussed \cite{Gaubatz1990, Bergmann1998} that the maximum transfer efficiency is to be expected at this pulse separation for Gaussian shaped pulses as the adiabacity condition of Eqn.~\ref{adiabat}, taking $\Delta=0$ for simplicity, is best satisfied throughout the interaction at this pulse delay.  Thus we have the lowest losses via non-adiabatic coupling to the `leaky' dressed states $\ket{a^{\pm}}$ and the maximum transfer efficiency.

The significant population transferral for positive delays is consistent with $b$-STIRAP \cite{Klein2007a, Vitanov1997, Vitanov1997b}.  In $b$-STIRAP the system remains in the bright state and the excited state is populated during the interaction.  Radiative losses are therefore possible resulting in a reduction in the transfer efficiency.  $b$-STIRAP is only observed in systems where the excited state radiative lifetime is long compared to the interaction time.  In Tm$^{3+}$:YAG the lifetime of the excited state is 800~$\mu$s \cite{Macfarlane1993}, which is much longer than the interaction time of the pulses.

We see that the experimental data in Fig.~\ref{scan} agrees well with both the standard 4-level and the 4-level model where we have included the inhomogeneous broadening to the hyperfine transition, henceforth to be known as the 4-level+ model.  In performing these simulations and in subsequent modeling we have included the saturation effect of the AOM in our models.

When including the significant inhomogeneous linewidth of the hyperfine transition in our 4-level+ model we assume the inhomogeneous line is a Gaussian centred on $\langle\delta\rangle$.  Our position in the inhomogeneous line is now specified as $\delta$ and thus for each value of $\langle\delta\rangle$ we must integrate over these $\delta$'s, whilst also including the Gaussian lineshape. The two-photon detuning profile in Fig.~\ref{Scan}, for the standard 4-level model, is the type of profile we use to perform this integration.  In order to obtain the transfer efficiency for the 4-level+ model at two-photon resonance, $\langle\delta\rangle = 0$, we apply a Gaussian filter to this profile, centred at $\delta=0$ and then integrate over the result.  By performing this integration process for a variety of delays we obtain the 4-level+ delay scan plotted here in Fig.~\ref{scan}.

In the situation in Fig.~\ref{scan} the Raman inhomogeneous linewidth is 50~kHz and the Rabi frequency on the strong transition is 1~MHz, with an associated weak Rabi frequency of 370~kHz.  Thus for these large Rabi frequencies and small inhomogeneous broadening we expect to be in the previously well-studied situation where the inhomogeneous broadening can be ignored \cite{Klein2007a, Goto2006}, as is demonstrated in these models.

The oscillations seen in the 4-level models for positive delays are thought to be due to the fact that the models were performed at $\Delta=0$, optical resonance.  At optical resonance it has been shown that the population transferral via $b$-STIRAP oscillates with the adiabacity parameter \cite{Vitanov1997b}, which in our case depends solely on the pulse delay between the pump and Stokes pulses.

In Fig.~\ref{comparison} is shown the one-photon linewidth for the various models along with that observed from experiment.  We see in this figure that the 4-level+ model agrees closely with the experimentally obtained result for this particular ground state splitting and Rabi frequency.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{Figure10}
\caption{(colour online) The solid (black) line shows the experimentally determined one-photon lineshape.  This lineshape is also determined with the standard 3-level model, dotted (purple) line, the standard 4-level model, dashed (red) line, and the 4-level model with the inhomogeneous linewidth of the hyperfine transition included, dash-dot (blue) line,  labelled as 4-level+.  The Rabi frequency of the strong transition was 510~kHz, the ground state splitting was 7.01~MHz and the inhomogeneous width of the Raman transition was 77.9~kHz.}\label{comparison}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

In Fig.~\ref{4levels} we compare the experimentally obtained two-photon detuning scan with that of the different models.  In the conditions of Fig.~\ref{4levels} the width of the two-photon detuning profile is much larger than the inhomogeneous broadening, of 77.9~kHz.  As a consequence,  the presence of the inhomogeneous line has little effect on the transfer efficiency.  The averaged profile given by the 4-level+ model hardly departs from the plain 4-level model.  The computed profiles closely agree with the experimental data.  In this experiment the strong Rabi frequency was 790~kHz, giving a Rabi frequency of 290~kHz on the weak transition, which is still much wider than the inhomogeneous width.

\begin{figure}[!ht]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=9cm]{Figure11}
\caption{(colour online) The two-photon detuning value is varied and the transfer efficiency is recorded experimentally, black squares.  The dotted (purple) line is the output from the standard 3-level model, the dashed (red) line is the output from the standard 4-level model and the dash-dot (blue) line is the output from the 4-level+ model, where in this case the two-photon detuning value plotted is actually the average two-photon detuning value.  The ground state hyperfine splitting was 7.1~MHz with an inhomogeneous width of 77.9~kHz and a Rabi frequency on the strong transition of 788~kHz. }\label{4levels}
\end{figure}

We now follow with an investigation into the effect the inhomogeneous width of the Raman transition has on the maximum transfer efficiency and the two-photon linewidth as we vary the applied Rabi frequency.

Shown in Fig.~\ref{efficiency_Rabi} is the effect on the maximum transfer efficiency as the Rabi frequency is varied.  It is at low Rabi frequencies that the inhomogeneously broadened Raman transition is expected to have the largest effect on the transfer efficiency and we see that this is matched with the experimental and numerical results.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{Figure12}
\caption{(colour online) We vary the Rabi frequency whilst the inhomogeneous width and ground state splitting remain constant.  The splitting is constant at 7.1~MHz and the width of the inhomogeneously broadened Raman transition is 79~kHz.  The Rabi frequencies shown are those of the strong transition in each case.  The squares are the results obtained from experiments.  The solid (black) line is the simulation from the standard 3-level model, the dashed (red) line is the result from the standard 4-level model whilst the dash-dot (blue) line is the 4-level+ model.}\label{efficiency_Rabi}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

At low Rabi frequencies we expect a lower maximum transfer efficiency for the 4-level+ model when compared to that of the standard 4-level model.  In the standard 4-level model, at $\delta$=0, all the ions are at two-photon resonance.  Thus the majority of the population transferral occurs via efficient adiabatic transitions.  In the 4-level+ model, at $\langle\delta\rangle$=0, only a small portion of the ions are at two-photon resonance.  The rest will have a non-zero two-photon detuning value, dependant on their position in the inhomogeneous line.  Thus the majority of population transfer in this model occurs via the less efficient diabatic transitions, reducing the maximum transfer efficiency. As the Rabi frequency is increased a greater proportion of the transitions are adiabatic in the 4-level+ model, thus steadily increasing the maximum transfer efficiency, until it matches that of the standard 4-level model.

In this figure we also see a difference between the 3-level and 4-level models.  It is accepted that in a three-level system the population transfer is complete for a sufficiently high Rabi frequency satisfying the adiabacity criteria of either Eqns.~\ref{near_cond} or \ref{far_cond}.  The transfer process then simply becomes more robust as the Rabi frequency is increased.  This is seen in Fig.~\ref{efficiency_Rabi} where the transfer efficiency of the 3-level model rapidly reaches it's maximum value of $\sim$94\% and then remains constant as the Rabi frequency is increased.  The maximum transfer efficiency in this model is not 100\% due to the inclusion of relaxation and decoherence decay terms in the model.

The situation is different for both the 4-level models where the transfer efficiency slowly reaches it's maximum value before then decreasing for larger Rabi frequencies.

This reduction in the transfer efficiency might be due to the ``connectivity problem'', which has previously been observed in multi-level systems \cite{Shore1995,Martin1996,Martin1995}.  The connectivity problem means that whilst there may be an adiabtaic dressed state overlapping with the initial bare state at $t\rightarrow -\infty$ and another adiabatic dressed state overlapping with the desired final bare state at $t\rightarrow\infty$ there is no adiabatic or diabatic pathway connecting these two dressed states, due to the additional energy level and the multiple excitations of the transitions, resulting in no population transferral.  It has previously been demonstrated that for multi-level systems it is possible that the maximum transfer efficiency will reduce for large Rabi frequencies \cite{Martin1996, Shore1995} due to this problem.  It is also possible that at large Rabi frequencies the Stokes pulse could be strongly interacting with populated levels, resulting in optical pumping rather than STIRAP processes and thus reducing the transfer efficiency.

Both experimental results and simulations show that the transfer efficiency, below that of maximum efficiency, is highly dependant on the Rabi frequency.  From the adiabacity condition of Eqn.~\ref{far_cond} we see that for a constant one-photon detuning and pulse duration that it is the variation of the Rabi frequency which will affect the transfer efficiency.  As the Rabi frequency is reduced a greater proportion of the population transferral will occur via non-adiabatic transitions, thus reducing the transfer efficiency due to the associated radiative losses.

We see explicitly in Fig.~\ref{Rabi_2photon} the dependence of the width of the two-photon detuning scan on the Rabi frequency.  We see that as we reduce the Rabi frequency, both the experimentally obtained maximum transfer efficiency and the two-photon detuning width is decreased.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{Figure13}
\caption{(colour online) We varied the Rabi frequency for a constant ground state splitting whilst scanning the two-photon detuning.  The symbols are the experimentally obtained results whilst the lines are the fitted Gaussians.  The Rabi frequencies of the strong transition are listed for each scan.  The ground state splitting in each case was 7.3~MHz with an associated inhomogeneous width of the Raman transition of 80~kHz.}\label{Rabi_2photon}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

Reducing the effective Rabi frequency will affect the maximum transfer efficiency in two ways. In order to achieve the maximum possible transfer efficiency the weak Rabi frequency should be much larger than the inhomogeneous width of the Raman transition and at the same time the adiabacity condition of Eqn.~\ref{far_cond} must be satisfied.

Away from two-photon resonance population transferral is only possible via diabatic transitions.  As the Rabi frequency is reduced these diabatic transitions become weaker and hence it is thought that the weakening of these transitions reduces the two-photon width with decreasing Rabi frequency.

We monitored in Fig.~\ref{2photon_width} the two-photon detuning width as we varied both the Rabi frequency and the inhomogeneous width of the system.  We found that the two-photon width was highly dependent on the Rabi frequency.  It was also dependent on the inhomogeneous width of the hyperfine transition, but less so and only at low Rabi frequencies.
\begin{figure}[!ht]
\begin{centering}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{Figure14}
\caption{(colour online) We varied the applied Rabi frequency and recorded the width of the two-photon detuning scan for different applied magnetic fields, and hence different Raman inhomogeneous widths.  The associated Raman inhomogeneous widths for the different ground state splitting values are $\Gamma\sim$80~kHz for $\Delta_{g}=$7~MHz, $\Gamma\sim$140~kHz for $\Delta_{g}=$13~MHz and $\Gamma\sim$210~kHz for $\Delta_{g}=$19~MHz, where $\Gamma$ is the width of the inhomogeneously broadened Raman transition.  The experimental two-photon detuning values, shown as the symbols, are the FWHM of a fitted Gaussian to the experimental scans.  The dashed (red) line is the standard 4-level model linewidths for a ground state splitting of $\Delta_{g}=$7~MHz.  The dash-dot (blue) and the solid (black) lines are the linewidths from the 4-level+ model for ground state splittings of $\Delta_{g}$=7~MHz and 19~MHz respectively.}\label{2photon_width}
\end{centering}
\end{figure}

It was found numerically that there was a negligible difference between the two-photon linewidths from the standard 4-level models for different ground state splittings, thus only the result from a splitting of $\Delta_{g}$=7~MHz is displayed here.  Once the inhomogeneous width is included in the model we see that the two-photon width is dependent on the inhomogeneous width at low Rabi frequencies.  It is seen in this figure that the larger the inhomogeneous broadening and the smaller the Rabi frequency, the broader the two-photon linewidth of the 4-level+ model is when compared to that of the standard 4-level model.

The fact that the two-photon width is broader for the 4-level+ model over the standard 4-level model, at least at low Rabi frequencies is to be expected.  When the average two-photon detuning value is varied slightly in the 4-level+ model there can still be some ions at two-photon resonance, though less than if the average two-photon detuning was zero.  Whilst in the standard 4-level model, once there is a non-zero two-photon detuning value there are no ions at two-photon resonance.  Therefore there is greater population transfer in the 4-level+ model for non-zero two-photon detuning values, and hence a broader two-photon width.  This effect is larger for the model with larger Raman inhomogeneous broadening as is to be expected.

As the Rabi frequency is increased the two-photon linewidths of the various models converge.  It is seen that the 4-level+ model with the smaller inhomogeneous width, $\Gamma$ = 80~kHz, converges at a smaller Rabi frequency than the model with a larger inhomogeneous width, $\Gamma$ = 210~kHz, where $\Gamma$ represnets the inhomogeneous linewidth.  We see that in each case the models with inhomogeneous broadening converge for a Rabi frequency of the strong transition of approximately six times the inhomogeneous width.

This effect can also be seen in the experimental values where we see that for low Rabi frequencies the two-photon detuning widths appear to be dependent on the Raman inhomogeneous widths.  This effect appears to decrease as the Rabi frequency is increased.

\section{Conclusions}

We have investigated STIRAP in Tm$^{3+}$:YAG both experimentally and numerically.  The experimental demonstrations presented here were the first such demonstrations of STIRAP in Tm$^{3+}$:YAG.  We observed robust population transfer with a maximum transfer efficiency of $\sim$90\% for STIRAP.  We were also able to observe $b$-STIRAP in this system due to the long population lifetime of the excited level as compared to the interaction time of the experiment.  Maximum transfer efficiencies of $\sim$45\% were observed for $b$-STIRAP, significantly larger than the transfer efficiency for coincident Stokes and pump pulses.

We were also able to completely model the Tm$^{3+}$:YAG system as this simple system consists of only 4 energy levels and a metastable state in a magnetic field.  We found that it was necessary to include the second excited state hyperfine level and the multiple excitations of the optical transitions in order for our numerical model to match the experimental results.  It was also seen that the inclusion of the Raman inhomogeneous broadening to our standard 4-level model altered the output and gave us simulated results more closely matched with those obtained experimentally, particularly at low Rabi frequencies.

We also discovered that the two-photon linewidth is broader when the inhomogeneous broadening is introduced.  This was thought to be due to more efficient population transferral at non-zero two-photon detuning values with the inhomogeneous broadening present.  It was seen that the two-photon linewidth determined from the model with inhomogeneous broadening converged with that of the standard 4-level model as the Rabi frequency was increased and the effect of the inhomogeneous broadening was reduced.

It was also found that at low Rabi frequencies the presence of Raman inhomogeneous broadening reduced the maximum obtainable transfer efficiency.  But at high Rabi frequencies, ie. frequencies $\sim$10 times the inhomogeneous width, the inhomogeneous width made no difference to the obtained maximum transfer efficiency.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya was the founder of Banaras (Hindu) University which stands as an enduring memorial to his foresight, educational ideals, and passion for Indian culture. Malaviyaji attended the Congress session from 1886 to 1936 and presided over the sessions of 1909 and 1918. In his presidential address at the Lahore session he declared that "it is righteousness alone that wins."
Born at Allahabad in an orthodox Brahmin family, young Malaviya had his early education in Sanskrit. He graduated from the Calcutta University in 1884 and started his career as a teacher. He edited a Hindu weekly called "Hindustan" and an English weekly called "Indian Union."
The "Spotless Pandit," as Malaviyaji was described by a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council, was the epitome of selfless service in the cause of the nation. Though orthodox in his personal habits, Malaviyaji was for removing the disabilities of women and the depressed classes of people.
January 1906 Convened Sanatan Dharma Mahasabha on Kumbh in Allahabad.
1924 Formation of Independent Party in District and Assembly .


text:
SEEBOARD
Not to be confused with Seaboard.
SEEBOARD, formerly South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEB), was a British electricity company. The electrical power industry in the United Kingdom was nationalised by the Electricity Act 1947, when over 600 electric power companies were merged into twelve Area Boards, one of which was the South Eastern Electricity Board. It acquired the former Princes Hotel on the seafront in Hove, East Sussex, and converted it into its headquarters. The building was refurbished and substantially extended between 1979 and 1981.[1]
On 31 March 1990, the area electricity boards were changed to independent regional electricity companies (REC), and SEEBOARD plc was formed.[2] On 11 December 1990 the RECs were privatised. The Hove headquarters was closed in 1994, but some jobs were transferred to a nearby SEEBOARD office in Portslade.[2]
Seeboard Powerlink, a company owned by SEEBOARD, BICC and ABB, was awarded (on 13 August 1998) a 30-year contract to operate, maintain, finance and renew London Underground's high-voltage power distribution network, under the terms of the UK government's private finance initiative. Seeboard Powerlink became responsible for distribution of high-voltage electricity supplies to London Underground's substations and more than 400 kilometres of track. The contract included significant capital construction and installation works on the LUL power system valued at approximately £100 million.
In 2002 SEEBOARD joined 24seven Utility Services under the ownership of the LE Group, which then rebranded in 2003 to become EDF Energy Networks, the UK branch of Électricité de France, before being acquired by Cheung Kong Holdings and renamed UK Power Networks. [3]
Middleton, Judy (2003). The Encyclopaedia of Hove & Portslade. Brighton: Brighton & Hove Libraries.
^ Middleton 2003, Vol. 13, p. 29.
^ a b Middleton 2003, Vol. 13, p. 30.
^ "UK Power Networks - About Us". UK Power Networks. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
EDF Energy website
EDF Energy's Fuel Mix for 2006
BalfourBeatty press release 1998-08-13/
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SEEBOARD&oldid=842062413"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Insurance Agent: Insurance agent is focused on field of finance and play a middleman role between insurance provider and client. These brokers have thorough understanding of insurance sectors and they're greatly acquainted with the potential risks as well as their management. Insurance agent could be either a person or perhaps a commercial business. Insurance brokers are not only the discounters, rebators however the financial planners who understand the appropriate insurance schemes based on necessity of the customer. They are individuals persons who'll create the risk awareness at each side. In our competitive business scenario, every insurance agent wish to have maximum details about the present client. They should be serviced with accurate information. A business or perhaps an individual is recognized as a genuine broker whether it beats its competitive brokers and obtain update its clients with latest schemes or policies. A genuine broker is the fact that who not just sell the insurance policy to clients, but additionally permits them to find out the best policy suitable for their demands.
Office Automation Software: It provides automation of numerous daily tasks for customer support. For those Insurance brokers, there's necessity of office automation software to create the work they do easy. Miracle traffic bot has effective tools to satisfy back-office needs. The program takes proper care of existing contacts, potential customers. It's an efficient time saving tool in supplying efficient plan to their customers. It stores the record of existing clients, every policy that offered, brokerage and renewals. The program is extremely user-friendly and much more efficient for insurance agent. The office automation software was produced to lessen the paperwork and permit discussing documents and files digitally. The various packages use in miracle traffic bot are word processing package, and file storage package. These packages include for electronic publishing, communication, and collaboration with clients. The various electronic publishing softwares include MS Word, Corel Word-Perfect allow creating, editing, revising, and storing documents. Different modes of communication that might help an insurance coverage broker to talk with the clients include email, voicemail, and fax (facsimile). The program for Insurance brokers might be obtainable in two variants- desktop or online.
In this world run by technology, it is undeniable that every sector needs to adapt to technology. Office automation Singapore is one of the few facilities Fuji Xerox provides to customers to manage their paper content better and create and share digital content as well.


text:
Sasu Haapanen (7 de  enero de 1905 – 25 de diciembre de 1986) fue un actor finlandés.

Biografía
Su verdadero nombre era Aleksander Haapanen, y nació en Helsinki, Finlandia. Estudió música y teatro, siendo contratado en 1923 para trabajar en el Koiton Näyttämö de Helsinki, teatro en el cual permaneció diez años. Más adelante tuvo una larga trayectoria en el Kansanteatteri-Työväenteatteri de la capital, con el cual estuvo ligado entre 1933 y 1965. Ese año pasó al Kaupunginteatteri de Helsinki, en el cual siguió hasta su jubilación en 1969. Entre las obras que representó figuran Hamlet, Niskavuori y Hyvä maa.

Haapanen también actuó en una cuarentena de películas entre 1936 y 1962. Su primer papel significativo llegó con Jääkärin morsian (1938), rodando después Markan tähden (1938). En 1939 actuó en cinco filmes, siendo el más destacado para él la comedia Herrat ovat herkkäuskoisia. Encarnó a malvados en las cintas Viimeinen vieras (1941), Ryhmy ja Romppainen (1941), Onni pyörii (1942) y Tyttö astuu elämään (1943). En Suomisen Ollin tempaus (1941) fue el honesto pintor Suominen.

Haapanen declaraba en 1944 a la revista Elokuva-Aitta estar cansado de encarnar a malvados, aunque suponía un desafío encontrar nuevos matices para sus personajes. Entre sus papeles favoritos se encontraba el de Isak en Jääkärin morsiamen y Pellika en Tuomari Martta (1943). En 1945 Haapanen fue el protagonista masculino de Vastamyrkky, film basado en un texto de Hella Wuolijoki. Otra película destacada de Haapanen, basada en relatos de Maria Jotuni, fue Kun on tunteet (1954). Su última producción cinematográfica, dirigida por Maunu Kurkvaara, fue Yksityisalue (1962). Posteriormente actuó en diferentes producciones televisivas, siendo también conocido por su trabajo en series radiofónicas de Aarne Haapakoski y  Reino Helismaa.

En su faceta de cantante, Sasu Haapanen grabó en 1930 unos 15 éxitos de género schlager, entre ellos "Ali Baba", "Kaarina", "Kasakka" ("Tosca-valssi") y "Särkynyt elämä".

Por su trayectoria artística, Haapanen fue premiado en 1956 con la Medalla Pro Finlandia.

Sasu Haapanen falleció en Helsinki en el año 1986.

Filmografía (selección)

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Actores de teatro de Finlandia
Cantantes de Finlandia
Medalla Pro Finlandia
Actores de cine de Finlandia
Actores de televisión de Finlandia
Nacidos en Helsinki

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In this work we study Euclidean distance graphs whose vertex set is the n-dimensional rational space. In particular, we deal with the chromatic numbers (and some related parameters) of such graphs when n = 2 or n = 3. A short history of the topic is given before we approach a few open problems related to the subject. Some of these questions are resolved, either partially or completely. For the problems able to resist our advances, methods are given that will hopefully lead to answers in future work.


Arundhati Venkatesh's latest offering "Bookasura: The Adventures of Bala and the Book-eating Monster" has a catchy title that makes one want to try it and that is what I did.
Bala, the bibliophile, is sent to his grandparents' place in Melagam so that his parents can attend to his infant sister and he can enjoy his summer holidays without any worries of her eating his books.
Bala goes to Melagam along with Navneeth uncle and his wife Kala Aunty, friends and residents of Melagam. On arriving at his grandparents' place, Bala is treated to a variety of sumptuous dishes by Paati and delicious stories by Thaatha. One such story is that of Bakasura, the mythological monster whose appetite could not be satisfied and whom Bheem had to counter and kill.
That afternoon, when Bala goes to Navneeth uncle's house and then near the forbidden well in the garden, lo and behold, there is a monster awaiting him. This time it a demon with a 'D'ifference because he devours books in place of food.
Bala is forced to part with a few of the carefully chosen 10 books that he had carried with him from home. He also promises to give a regular supply of three books each day to the demon to save his own life.
Is Bookasura real? How does Bala manage to meet the demands of Bookasura? What does he do when his 10 books are devoured? Does he manage to outwit the demon? Read the story to find out.
An attractive title that draws people, particularly bibliophiles, to the book. This attraction is justified as the parallel between Bakasura and Bookasura is delightful.
The encounter between Bala and Bookasura wherein Bala answers all the demon's questions with a book title. Very innovative and creative indeed!
A notable feature about Arundhati's writing is her description of food that kindles one's appetite and makes one drool. This book is no exception with Paati vowing to fatten Bala during the vacation and offering delicacies that made me nostalgic.
I particularly liked the way the author has shown the presence of a baby in the family and how the dynamics of the family members change in the context. Though it is short, it is genuine.
Awesome illustrations by Priya Kuriyan, very instrumental in kindling my childhood memories.
I love the title written on the cover with two horns each on the 'B' and 'S' of Bookasura. Whom does the credit go to for the idea?
Though I found the solution to the problem of Bookasura ingenious, there is a lingering feeling that it could have been refined further. The thrill of the solution was missing.
ComicCon India has nominated Bookasura for Best Cover and Best Publication for Children, and Arundhati for Best Children's Writer award for 2014.
The list of books that Bookasura devoured are ones that I have devoured as well. Does that make me a monster?
Is Melagam real? I could not find it in Google Maps. The name is very appealing.
Devour the Demon that devours!
Good One! Nice title for the book. Will read it soon.


Don't leave wine glasses at snout or tail level. Alcohol is a real problem for pets, and overactive tails could also knock over glasses.
Keep cut flowers and centerpieces out of paw's reach. Many of the most beautiful plants—such as lilies and mistletoe—are quite poisonous to pets. Potpourri also contains herbs and oils that can be toxic.
Careful with the turkey & trimmings! Turkey skin, gravy, and drippings are all high in fat and can cause pancreatitis in pets. Bones are a choking hazard, as is the tasty twine you used to secure your bird. If your stuffing contains raisins, onion, garlic, nutmeg, nuts, butter, or mushrooms, it's a no-no for fido – and felines, too.
You're probably already aware that chocolate—especially dark and baking chocolate—can be toxic to pets, but it should be paws off for other sweets and rich desserts, too.
Have a happy and (pet-safe) Thanksgiving!


text:
#ifndef _BCMFS_SYM_CAPABILITIES_H_
#define _BCMFS_SYM_CAPABILITIES_H_

/*
 * Get capabilities list for the device
 *
 */
const struct rte_cryptodev_capabilities *bcmfs_sym_get_capabilities(void);

#endif /* _BCMFS_SYM_CAPABILITIES_H__ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Романс (, , , , , , ) — невеликий за обсягом вірш та музичний твір для сольного співу з інструментальним акомпанементом.

Так називалися пісні народною мовою в Іспанії, на противагу пісням латиною, які пов'язувалися спочатку з боротьбою проти маврів. Пізніше вони поширились і в інших країнах, набувши відмінного змісту, ставши піснями про кохання (Англія, Франція та інші).

В Україні вже в 19 столітті романс існував як авторська пісня, тут до його поширення долучалися й українські поети (Є. Гребінка: «Очи черные…»). На межі 19-20 століття романс поширився в українській ліриці (Леся Українка, Агатангел Кримський та інші), маючи спорадичні прояви і в попередні роки.

Перший цикл романсів вів Людвіг Ван Бетховен, Франц Шуберт, Роберт Шуман (Німеччина), Дмитро Бортнянський

Так, у поетичній спадщині Спиридона Черкасенка знаходимо чимало романсів («К. К-вій», «Ви не забули», «Не проклинай», «З квіток рожевих», «Хвилини щастя» та інші). В українській музиці також вживається термін «солоспів».

На початку і в середині XX століття всесвітньо відомими стали українські пісні-романси «В саду осіннім айстри білі» (народна), «Черемшина» (музика Василя Михайлюка, слова Миколи Юрійчука), «Квітка з полонини» (Романа Савицького).

Відомі виконавці
 Козловський Іван Семенович
 Ізабелла Юр'єва
 Валерій Агафонов

Див. також
 Модінья — португальський романс
 Романсеро — збірник романсів в Іспанії

Література

 Літературознавчий словник-довідник, Р. Т. Гром'як, Ю. І. Ковалів та ін. — Київ: Видавництво «Академія», 1997. — с. 612

Джерела
 Пісні та романси українських поетів. т.1 (XXVI – XXVIII ст.) / Упоряд. Г.А.Нудьга [Серія: "Бібліотека поета"] — Київ: Радянський письменник, 1956. — с. 353
 Пісні та романси українських поетів. т.2 (ХІХ – поч. ХХ ст.) / Упоряд. Г.А.Нудьга [Серія: "Бібліотека поета"] — Київ: Радянський письменник, 1956. — с. 392
 Українські народні романси / Упоряд. Л. Ященко — Київ: Академія наук Української РСР, 1961 — с. 412
 Українські класичні романси / Упоряд. Т. П. Булат — Київ: Музична Україна, 1983. — с. 337

Посилання

 Українські романси на поезію українських поетів

Музичні жанри