PECULIARITIES OF RESONANT ABSORPTION AND FLUORESCENCE IN EXTREMELY THIN CELL FILLED WITH Rb AND BUFFER GAS.

Recently unique extremely thin cells (ETC) containing atomic vapour of alkali metals with the column thickness L of an order and much less than optical light wavelength λ have been developed. It has been demonstrated that these ETC are a very promising tool for a fundamental study of atom-light, atom-atom, atom-surface and atom-external magnetic field interactions. Particularly, a dramatically different behaviour of resonant absorption, fluorescence and resonant magneto-optical processes compared to that obtained with the help of cm-long ordinary cells has been demonstrated. Possible applications based on ETC are described, such as magnetometers with nanometric spatial resolution and tunabl…

Sub-Doppler features of optical processes in the Rb extremely thin cell filled with an additional buffer gas.

International audience; Comparison of the resonant absorption and fluorescence in the extremely thin cell (ETC) filled with pure Rb with another one filled with Rb and Neon gas with the pressures 6 Torr and 20 Torr is provided. The effect of the collapse and revival of Dicke-type narrowing is still observable for the thickness L=λ/2, and L=λ, where λ is a resonant laser wavelength 794 nm (D1 line of the Rb), i.e. the spectra of the resonant absorption and fluorescence demonstrate the sub-Doppler narrowing for the thickness L=λ/2 and broadening for the thickness L=λ. It is important to note, that in an ordinary Rb cell with the thickness L in the range of 1mm- 10 cm filled with buffer gas, w…

Hyperfine Paschen-Back regime realized in Rb nanocell

A simple and efficient scheme based on one-dimensional nanometric thin cell filled with Rb and strong permanent ring magnets allowed direct observation of hyperfine Paschen-Back regime on D1 line in 0.5 - 0.7 T magnetic field. Experimental results are perfectly consistent with the theory. In particular, with sigma+ laser excitation, the slopes of B-field dependence of frequency shift for all the 10 individual transitions of 85,87Rb are the same and equal to 18.6 MHz/mT. Possible applications for magnetometry with submicron spatial resolution and tunable atomic frequency references are discussed.

SELECTIVE AMPLIFICATION OF NARROW RESONANCE FORMED IN TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF Rb NANO-CELL IN MAGNETIC FIELD

Recently it was shown that "λ-Zeeman Technique" (λ-ZT) is a convenient tool to study individual transitions between the Zeeman sublevels of hyperfine levels in an external magnetic field. λ-ZT is based on resonant transmission spectrum of nanometric thin cell (NTC) of thickness L = λ, where λ is the resonant wavelength 794 nm for Rb D1 line. Narrow velocity selective optical pumping (VSOP) resonances in the transmission spectrum of the NTC are split into several components in a magnetic field. Examination of VSOP resonances allows one to identify and investigate an atomic transition in the range of magnetic fields 10 - 5000 G. Here we present a new method for selective addressing of VSOP r…

High-contrast dark resonances on the D1 line in cesium nanocell: the advantages compared with the other alkali D lines

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in a -system formed by Cs atoms line, enclosed in nanometric-thin cells, is studied both experimentally and theoretically for the first time. T...

Dark-line Atomic Resonances in 1-100 µm-thin cells

International audience; Recently developed micrometric thin cells (MTC) containing atomic vapor of micrometric column thickness allow one to study peculiarities of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) phenomenon, along with the accompanying velocity selective optical pumping/saturation (VSOP) resonances. MTC are filled with pure Rb and neither buffer gas nor paraffin-coated walls were used. the Lambda-system on D2 lines of 85RB have been studied with the use of two separate diode lasers. There are several dramatic distinctions in formation of EIT and VSOP resonances in MTC as compared with conventional cm-size cells. Particularly, in the case of MTC the narrowest EIT resonance is …

Hyperfine Paschen-Back regime in alkali metal atoms: consistency of two theoretical considerations and experiment

Simple and efficient "\lambda-method" and "\lambda/2-method" (\lambda is the resonant wavelength of laser radiation) based on nanometric-thickness cell filled with rubidium are implemented to study the splitting of hyperfine transitions of 85Rb and 87Rb D_1 line in an external magnetic field in the range of B = 0.5 - 0.7 T. It is experimentally demonstrated from 20 (12) Zeeman transitions allowed at low B-field in 85Rb (87Rb) spectra in the case of \sigma+ polarized laser radiation, only 6 (4) remain at B > 0.5 T, caused by decoupling of the total electronic momentum J and the nuclear spin momentum I (hyperfine Paschen-Back regime). The expressions derived in the frame of completely uncoupl…

Superluminal pulse propagation in a non-linear Lambda -type atomic medium

International audience; The propagation of two optical pulses in a non-linear -type atomic medium is considered. The analytical solution to the self-consistent Maxwell-Schrödinger equations in the adiabatic following condition is obtained. Superluminal effects during propagation of pulses in the medium are studied.

Short-length storage of intense optical pulses in solid by adiabatic passage

We propose a novel scheme of storage of intense pulses which allows a significant reduction of the storage length with respect to standard schemes. This scheme is particularly adapted to store optical information in media with fast relaxations.

Stimulated Raman Adiabatic Passage via bright state in Lambda medium of unequal oscillator strengths

International audience; We consider the population transfer process in a Lambda-type atomic medium of unequal oscillator strengths by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage via bright-state (b-STIRAP) taking into account propagation effects. Using both analytic and numerical methods we show that the population transfer efficiency is sensitive to the ratio q(p)/q(s) of the transition oscillator strengths. We find that the case q(p) > q(s) is more detrimental for population transfer process as compared to the case where q(p) <= q(s). For this case it is possible to increase medium dimensions while permitting efficient population transfer. A criterion determining the interaction adiabaticity in th…

Electromagnetically Induced Transparency and optical pumping processes formed in Cs sub-micron thin cell

Abstract The Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) effect in a Λ -system formed by Cs atoms (6 S 1/2  − 6 P 3/2  − 6 S 1/2 ) confined in an extremely thin cell (ETC) (atomic column thickness L varies in the range of 800 nm –3 µm is studied both experimentally and theoretically. It is demonstrated that when the coupling laser frequency is in exact resonance with the corresponding atomic transition, the EIT resonance parameters weakly depend on L , which allows us to detect the effect at L  =  λ  = 852 nm. EIT process reveals a striking peculiarity in case of the coupling laser detuned by Δ from the atomic transition, namely the width of the EIT resonance rapidly increases upon an in…

Complete hyperfine Paschen-Back regime at relatively small magnetic fields realized in potassium nano-cell

A one-dimensional nano-metric-thin cell (NC) filled with potassium metal has been built and used to study optical atomic transitions in external magnetic fields. These studies benefit from the remarkable features of the NC allowing one to use $\lambda/2$- and $\lambda$-methods for effective investigations of individual transitions of the K D_1 line. The methods are based on strong narrowing of the absorption spectrum of the atomic column of thickness L equal to $\lambda/2$ and to $\lambda$(with $\lambda = 770\un{nm}$ being the resonant laser radiation wavelength). In particular, for a $\pi$-polarized radiation excitation the $\lambda$-method allows us to resolve eight atomic transitions (in…

Approach to quantitative spectroscopy of atomic vapor in optical nanocells

We present a method for recovery of narrow homogeneous spectral features out of a broad inhomogeneous overlapped profile based on second-derivative processing of the absorption spectra of alkali metal atomic vapor nanocells. The method is shown to preserve the frequency positions and amplitudes of spectral transitions, thus being applicable for quantitative spectroscopy. The proposed technique was successfully applied and tested for measurements of hyperfine splitting and atomic transition probabilities, development of an atomic frequency reference, determination of isotopic abundance, study of atom-surface interaction, and determination of magnetic-field-induced modification of atomic tran…

Saturation effects of Faraday rotation signals in Cs vapor nanocells: thickness-dependent effects.

Generalized algebraic treatment for XY2 molecules : application to D2S.

Theory of the bright-state stimulated Raman adiabatic passage

We describe analytically and numerically the process of population transfer by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage through a bright state when the pulses propagate in a medium. Limitations of the adiabaticity are analyzed and interpreted in terms of reshaping of the pulses. We find parameters for the pulses for which the population transfer is nearly complete over long distances.

High-Spatial-Resolution Monitoring of Strong Magnetic Field using Rb vapor Nanometric-Thin Cell

We have implemented the so-called $\lambda$-Zeeman technique (LZT) to investigate individual hyperfine transitions between Zeeman sublevels of the Rb atoms in a strong external magnetic field $B$ in the range of $2500 - 5000$ G (recently it was established that LZT is very convenient for the range of $10 - 2500$ G). Atoms are confined in a nanometric thin cell (NTC) with the thickness $L = \lambda$, where $\lambda$ is the resonant wavelength 794 nm for Rb $D_1$ line. Narrow velocity selective optical pumping (VSOP) resonances in the transmission spectrum of the NTC are split into several components in a magnetic field with the frequency positions and transition probabilities depending on th…

Vibrational interactions and resonances in XY2 molecules of C2v symmetry. Algebraic application to D2S system.

Atomic transitions of Rb, D2 line in strong magnetic fields: Hyperfine Paschen–Back regime

An efficient $\lambda/2$-method ($\lambda$ is the resonant wavelength of laser radiation) based on nanometric-thickness cell filled with rubidium is implemented to study the splitting of hyperfine transitions of $^{85}$Rb and $^{87}$Rb $D_2$ lines in an external magnetic field in the range of $B =3$~kG -- 7~kG. It is experimentally demonstrated that at $B > 3$~kG from 38 (22) Zeeman transitions allowed at low $B$-field in $^{85}$Rb ($^{87}$Rb) spectra in the case of $\sigma^+$ polarized laser radiation there remain only 12 (8) which is caused by decoupling of the total electronic momentum $\textbf{J}$ and the nuclear spin momentum $\textbf{I}$ (hyperfine Paschen-Back regime). Note that at $…

Dark-Line Atomic Resonances in Micrometric Rb-Vapor Layer

We present measurements of dark-line resonances excited in Rb atomic vapor confined in micrometric cells (MC). In our work, the Lambda-systems on D2 line of 85Rb have been studied with the use of bi-chromatic radiation of two separate narrowband diode lasers.

Ladder and lambda systems: electromagnetically induced transparency in thin and extremely-thin cells.

QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY OF Rb ATOMS IN STRONG MAGNETIC FIELD BASED ON SUBMICRON THIN VAPOUR.

The energy levels of atoms placed in an external magnetic field undergo frequency shifts and changes in their transition probabilities. It is demonstrated that using fluorescence spectra from a submicron thin vapour cell (STC) with the thickness L = λ/2, it is possible to efficiently study the above mentioned changes (“half-λ Zeeman technique” (HLZT)). The circularly polarized beam of extended-cavity diode laser (λ = 794 nm, laser bandwidth γL < 1 MHz) resonant with 87Rb D1 transition, after passing through Faraday isolator is directed onto the Rb STC with the thickness L = λ/2. The temperature of the STC is 120 °C, corresponding to N ~ 1013 atom/cm3. STC was provided by a special oven with…

Peculiarities of resonant absorption on D lines of Cs and Rb for atomic vapour layer of order of light wavelength.

Electromagnetically induced transparency resonances inverted in magnetic field

The electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon has been investigated in a $\Lambda$-system of the $^{87}$Rb D$_1$ line in an external transverse magnetic field. Two spectroscopic cells having strongly different values of the relaxation rates $\gamma_{rel}$ are used: a Rb cell with antirelaxation coating ($L\sim$1 cm) and a Rb nanometric-thin cell (nano-cell) with thickness of the atomic vapor column $L$=795nm. For the EIT in the nano-cell, we have the usual EIT resonances characterized by a reduction in the absorption (i.e. dark resonance (DR)), whereas for the EIT in the Rb cell with an antirelaxation coating, the resonances demonstrate an increase in the absorption (i.e. br…

Collapse and revival of a Dicke-type coherent narrowing in potassium vapor confined in a nanometric-thin cell

A nanometer-thin-cell (in the direction of laser beam propagation) has been elaborated with the thickness of the atomic vapor column varying smoothly in the range of $L = \unit[50-1500]{nm}$. The cell allows one to study the behavior of the resonance absorption over the $D_1$ line of potassium atoms by varying the laser intensity and the cell thickness from $L = \lambda / 2$ to $L = 2 \lambda$ with the step $\lambda/2$ ($\lambda =\unit[770]{nm}$ is the resonant wavelength of the laser). It is shown that despite the huge Doppler broadening ($>\unit[0.9]{GHz}$ at the cell temperature $\unit[170]{^{\circ}C}$), at low laser intensities a narrowing of the resonance absorption spectrum is observe…

Essential features of optical processes in neon-buffered submicron-thin Rb vapor cell

A new submicron thin cell (STC) filled with Rb and neon gas is developed and comparison of resonant absorption with STC containing pure Rb is provided. The effect of collapse and revival of Dicke-type narrowing is still observable for the thickness L = lambda /2 and L = lambda , where lambda is a resonant laser wavelength 794 nm (D(1) line). For an ordinary Rb cm-size cell with addition of buffer gas, the velocity selective optical pumping/saturation (VSOP) resonances in saturated absorption spectra are fully suppressed if neon pressure0.5 Torr. A spectacular difference is that for L = lambda , VSOP resonances are still observable even when neon pressure isor = 6 Torr. Narrow fluorescence s…