Reconciling the eigenmode analysis with the Maxwell-Bloch equations approach to superradiance in the linear regime

The superradiance from a slab of inverted two-level atoms is theoretically analyzed in the linear regime from both the perspective of the expansion in eigenfunctions of the integral equation with the Lienard-Wiechert potential as kernel, and that of linearizing the Maxwell-Bloch equations. We show the equivalence of both approaches. We show that the so-called Reduced Maxwell-Bloch equations do not yield even approximately the correct solution when applied in the obvious way, but that they can be made to give the correct solution by adding a fictitious input field. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.