Transient spectra of strong-field resonance fluorescence

Working with a beam of two-level–atom–like ${}_{}{}^{174}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Yb}$, we have measured the temporal evolution of strong-field resonance fluorescence spectra during square-pulse excitation. In the case of resonant excitation, it is found that driving-field phase shifts transform the normal three-peaked Mollow spectrum into a transient doublet spectrum asymmetric with respect to the atomic transition frequency. This qualitatively new type of spectrum provides fundamental insight into the connection between atomic dynamics and spectra, and results from a nearly perfect polarization of the dressed atom-field states.