Multilevel interference resonances in strongly driven three-level systems.

We study multiphoton resonances in a strongly driven three-level quantum system, where one level is periodically swept through a pair of levels with constant energy separation E. Near the multiphoton resonance condition nℏω=E, where n is an integer, we find qualitatively different behavior for n even or odd. We explain this phenomenon in terms of families of interfering trajectories of the multilevel system. Remarkably, the behavior is insensitive to fluctuations of the energy of the driven level, and survives deep into the strong dephasing regime. The setup can be relevant for a variety of solid state and atomic or molecular systems. In particular, it provides a clear mechanism to explain recent puzzling experimental observations in strongly driven double quantum dots.