0000000000178332

AUTHOR

Paul Hickson

showing 3 related works from this author

On-Sky Tests of a High-Power Pulsed Laser for Sodium Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

2016

We present results of on-sky tests performed in the summer of 2013 to characterize the performance of a prototype high-power pulsed laser for adaptive optics. The laser operates at a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of 600–800[Formula: see text]Hz, with a 6% duty cycle. Its coupling efficiency was found to be, in the best test case (using 18[Formula: see text]W of transmitted power), [Formula: see text] photons s[Formula: see text] sr[Formula: see text] atom[Formula: see text] W[Formula: see text] m2 when circular polarization was employed and [Formula: see text] photons s[Formula: see text] sr[Formula: see text] atom[Formula: see text] W[Formula: see text] m2 with linear polarization. No impro…

PhysicsLinear polarizationbusiness.industryAstronomy and AstrophysicsLaser01 natural scienceslaw.invention010309 opticsLaser guide starOpticsAngular diameterlawDuty cycle0103 physical sciencesLaser power scalingAdaptive opticsbusiness010303 astronomy & astrophysicsInstrumentationCircular polarizationJournal of Astronomical Instrumentation
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Polarization-driven spin precession of mesospheric sodium atoms

2018

We report experimental results on the first on-sky observation of atomic spin precession of mesospheric sodium driven by polarization modulation of a continuous-wave laser. The magnetic resonance was remotely detected from the ground by observing the enhancement of induced fluorescence when the driving frequency approached the precession frequency of sodium in the mesosphere, between 85 km and 100 km altitude. The experiment was performed at La Palma, and the uncertainty in the measured Larmor frequency ($\approx$260 kHz) corresponded to an error in the geomagnetic field of 0.4 mG. The results are consistent with geomagnetic field models and with the theory of light-atom interaction in the …

Atomic Physics (physics.atom-ph)Sodiumchemistry.chemical_elementFOS: Physical sciences7. Clean energy01 natural scienceslaw.inventionPhysics::GeophysicsPhysics - Atomic Physics010309 opticsOpticslaw0103 physical sciencesPhysics::Atomic Physics010306 general physicsSpin (physics)Circular polarizationLarmor precessionPhysicsbusiness.industryLaserPolarization (waves)Atomic and Molecular Physics and OpticsMagnetic fieldEarth's magnetic fieldchemistryPhysics::Space PhysicsAstrophysics::Earth and Planetary AstrophysicsAtomic physicsbusiness
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Polarization-driven spin precession of mesospheric sodium atoms: publisher's note.

2018

This publisher's note corrects an error in the author listing of Opt. Lett.43, 5825 (2018)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.43.005825.

010309 opticsPhysicsOpticsbusiness.industryQuantum electrodynamics0103 physical sciences02 engineering and technology021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology0210 nano-technologyPolarization (waves)business01 natural sciencesAtomic and Molecular Physics and OpticsOptics letters
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