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arXiv:1404.2215 · Journal of Physics D Applied Physics

Imaging magnetic scalar potentials by laser-induced fluorescence from bright and dark atoms

Ilja Fescenko, Antoine Weis

Published May 8, 2014• 10 citations

Abstract

We present a spectroscopic method for mapping two-dimensional distributions of magnetic field strengths (magnetic scalar potential lines) using CCD recordings of the fluorescence patterns emitted by spin-polarized Cs vapor in a buffer gas exposed to inhomogeneous magnetic fields. The method relies on the position-selective destruction of spin polarization by magnetic resonances induced by multi-component oscillating magnetic fields, such that magnetic potential lines can directly be detected by the CCD camera. We also present a generic algebraic model allowing the calculation of the fluorescence patterns and find excellent agreement with the experimental observations for three distinct inhomogeneous field topologies. The spatial resolution obtained with these proof-of-principle experiments is on the order of 1 mm. A substantial increase of spatial and magnetic field resolution is expected by deploying the method in a magnetically shielded environment.

DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/47/23/235001

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We present a spectroscopic method for mapping two-dimensional distributions of magnetic field strengths (magnetic scalar potential lines) using CCD recordings of the fluorescence patterns emitted by spin-polarized Cs vapor in a buffer gas exposed to inhomogeneous magnetic fields. The method relies on the position-selective destruction of spin polarization by magnetic resonances induced by multi-component oscillating magnetic fields, such that magnetic potential lines can directly be detected by the CCD camera. We also present a generic algebraic model allowing the calculation of the fluorescence patterns and find excellent agreement with the experimental observations for three distinct inhomogeneous field topologies. The spatial resolution obtained with these proof-of-principle experiments is on the order of 1 mm. A substantial increase of spatial and magnetic field resolution is expected by deploying the method in a magnetically shielded environment.

The dependence of the fluorescence intensity of Cs vapor irradiated by elliptically polarized light resonant with the F = 4 → F = 5 transition on the scanned magnetic field has a complex shape — a narrow dip against the background of a broad peak. It is found experimentally that the dip is due to the small component of the magnetic field orthogonal to the direction of the laser beam. A two-level atom model with degenerate angular-momentum states predicts an order of magnitude lower contrast of this dip. The experimentally observed contrast of the dip can be explained by assuming that due to the low buffer-gas pressure in the optical cell, part of the resonant atoms is able to return to the laser beam without thermalized collisions with the wall of the cell, increasing the contrast. In addition, accounting for all optical transitions of the D 2-line and the optical pumping of the hyperfine-structure components of the ground state is a fundamental point for the interpretation of the experimental results.

Imaging of electric and magnetic fields is limited by the fact that conventional field probes rely on conductive elements that perturb the fields they are meant to measure and require either spatial scanning or arrays to produce field maps. Atomic sensors based on Rydberg states offer a minimally invasive and broadband alternative, enabling absolute field measurements without external calibration. In this work, we present a field imaging technique that combines the spatial resolution of planar laser-induced fluorescence-dip spectroscopy with the field sensitivity and spectral resolution of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using Rydberg states of atomic vapor. By imaging the change in fluorescence due to EIT, we spatially resolve the field-induced shifts in atomic energy levels, enabling the imaging of arbitrary electric field distributions from MHz to tens of GHz at the ∼V/cm level and static magnetic fields at the ∼mT level. We also image resonant microwave electric fields at the ∼5 mV/cm level. This technique achieves a spatial resolution of 160 µm, limited by our camera, with a fundamental resolution limit near 5 µm.

By imaging the dark states that are due to coherent population trapping in Na atomic vapor, we have succeeded in depicting a spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field. Highly resolved dark lines represent cross sections of the surfaces of constant magnetic fields, and they agree well with the predicted hyperfine Zeeman splitting and the two-photon selection rules of the Na atom. Mapping was made two dimensionally in real time, but extension to three dimensions is straightforward. Furthermore, unlike the previous techniques based on optical pumping, this method can be used for any magnetic-field directions.

In a weak magnetic field coherent dark resonances in cesium vapor are split into up to 15 resolved components, depending on field direction and laser polarizations. We find that the selection rules are different for vapor cells with and without buffer gas due to a change in multipolarity of the two-photon coupling. At low laser intensities or sufficiently high buffer-gas pressure optical pumping between different dark resonances can be neglected so that a simple model allows one to calculate the relative line strengths, giving complete agreement with the experimental spectra.

The fluorescence spectra of a sub-micron atomic cesium vapor layer observable under resonant excitation on D2 line have been studied in the presence of an external magnetic field. Substantial changes in amplitudes and frequency positions of the individual (resolved) hyperfine transitions have been recorded in moderate magnetic fields (up to ~ 50 Gauss). These features are caused by mixing of the hyperfine states of the upper level resulting from comparable values of the hyperfine splitting of the 62^P_{3/2} manifold and Larmor frequencies of the magnetic sublevels. The results of simulation show a good agreement with the experimental spectra. Possible application of the results for high spatial resolution magnetometry is discussed.