Abstract: With numerical solution of full Maxwell-Bloch equations obtained by finite-difference time-domain method and iterative predictor-corrector method,spatial distributions of pulse and populations of few-cycle laser pulse propagates in a ladder-type three-level atomic medium are investigated.It shows that,spatial distributions changes evidently with pulse area.As the pulse area is smallr,the pulse shape is irregular and oscillation time increases.As the pulse area is large,the pulse shape becomes relatively regular and oscillation times decreases evidently.With increasing of pulse area,amplitude and group velocity of pulse increase progressively,oscillation times of populations increase gradually and variation of spatial distributions of the pulse and populations at different moments decreases considerably.Moreover,spatial distribution of populations correlates closely to spatial distribution of the pulse.

Key words: few-cycle laser pulses, propagating, ladder-type three-level, spatial distribution