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arXiv:0801.3242 · New Journal of Physics

Inhomogeneous light shift effects on atomic quantum state evolution in non-destructive measurements

Patrick J Windpassinger, Daniel Oblak, Ulrich B. Hoff, J. Appel, Niels Kjærgaard, Eugene S Polzik

Published May 28, 2008• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Various parameters of a trapped collection of cold and ultracold atoms can be determined non-destructively by measuring the phase shift of an off-resonant probe beam, caused by the state-dependent index of refraction of the atoms. The dispersive light–atom interaction, however, gives rise to a differential light shift (ac Stark shift) between the atomic states which, for a non-uniform probe intensity distribution, causes an inhomogeneous dephasing between the atoms. In this paper, we investigate the effects of this inhomogeneous light shift in non-destructive measurement schemes in cold caesium. We interpret our experimental data on dispersively probed Rabi oscillations and Ramsey fringes in terms of a simple light shift model which is shown to describe the observed behavior well. Furthermore, we show that by using spin echo techniques, the inhomogeneous phase shift distribution between the two clock levels can be reversed.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/10/5/053032

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Various parameters of a trapped collection of cold and ultracold atoms can be determined non-destructively by measuring the phase shift of an off-resonant probe beam, caused by the state-dependent index of refraction of the atoms. The dispersive light–atom interaction, however, gives rise to a differential light shift (ac Stark shift) between the atomic states which, for a non-uniform probe intensity distribution, causes an inhomogeneous dephasing between the atoms. In this paper, we investigate the effects of this inhomogeneous light shift in non-destructive measurement schemes in cold caesium. We interpret our experimental data on dispersively probed Rabi oscillations and Ramsey fringes in terms of a simple light shift model which is shown to describe the observed behavior well. Furthermore, we show that by using spin echo techniques, the inhomogeneous phase shift distribution between the two clock levels can be reversed.
We report on an experimental measurement of the phase shifts associated with the AC Stark effect. The optically induced light shift was measured using a Ramsey fringe technique and we have made detailed studies of the potential sources of coherence loss that can occur for an atomic sample manipulated by light. We investigated the loss of coherence due to the light shifts induced by using a non-uniform laser beam and the effects of scattered light. These measurements have implications for experiments which use optical techniques for manipulating atomic wavepackets in atom optics and atom interferometry.
The dynamic Stark shift of an inhomogeneously broadened spectral transition has been studied. Our measurements show a shift in the observed 87 Rb ground-state hyperfine transition, which has a nonlinear dependence on light intensity when the conditions for inhomogeneous broadening are met. The nonlinearity is the result of light-intensity gradients in the signal volume, which produce an inhomogeneously broadened asymmetric microwave transition. We show that our measurements are in full agreement with the second-order perturbation-theory treatment of light-induced energy-level shifts when the effects of inhomogeneities are properly taken into consideration. The effects of inhomogeneous broadening must be carefully considered when one extracts oscillator strengths from light-shift data, or performs high-precision laser spectroscopy. Originator-supplied keywords include: AC stark effect, Atomic clocks, Atomic line shapes, Light shifts.
We have measured light shifts, also known as AC Stark shifts, as a function of laser intensity in cold Rubidium atoms by observing sub-natural linewidth gain and loss features in the transmission spectrum of a weak probe beam passing through the atomic sample. The observed energy-level shifts for atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are found to be consistently higher than that obtained in optical molasses (i.e., when the magnetic field gradient in the MOT is turned off). Using a simple model of a multilevel Rubidium atom interacting with pump and probe beams, we have calculated the theoretical light shift as a function of intensity. A comparison of these calculated values with the light shift data obtained for molasses reveals good agreement between experiment and theory. Further, our model elucidates the role of the Zeeman shifts arising from the magnetic field gradient in the observed probe transmission spectrum for the MOT.
We report on the nondestructive observation of Rabi oscillations on the Cs clock transition. The internal atomic state evolution of a dipole-trapped ensemble of cold atoms is inferred from the phase shift of a probe laser beam as measured using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We describe a single color as well as a two-color probing scheme. Using the latter, measurements of the collective pseudospin projection of atoms in a superposition of the clock states are performed and the observed spin fluctuations are shown to be close to the standard quantum limit.
Effective and unrestricted engineering of atom-photon interactions requires precise spatially resolved control of light beams. The significant potential of such manipulations lies in a set of disciplines ranging from solid-state to atomic physics. Here we use a Zeeman-like ac-Stark shift caused by a shaped laser beam to perform rotations of spins with spatial resolution in a large ensemble of cold rubidium atoms. We show that inhomogeneities of light intensity are the main source of dephasing and, thus, decoherence; yet, with proper beam shaping, this deleterious effect is strongly mitigated allowing rotations of 15 rad within one spin-precession lifetime. Finally, as a particular example of a complex manipulation enabled by our scheme, we demonstrate a range of collapse-and-revival behaviors of a free-induction decay signal by imprinting comb-like patterns on the atomic ensemble.