arXiv:1706.03237 · Physical Review A
Sub-Doppler two-photon absorption induced by the combination of a single-mode laser and a frequency comb
Marco Polo Moreno de Souza, Giovana Trevisan Nogueira, D. Felinto, S. S. Vianna
Abstract
The two-photon transition $5S\ensuremath{-}5P\ensuremath{-}5D$ in rubidium vapor is investigated by detecting the fluorescence from the $6{P}_{3/2}$ state when the atomic system is excited by the combined action of a cw diode laser and a frequency comb. The cw laser plays a role as a velocity-selective filter and allows for sub-Doppler spectroscopy over a large spectral range including the $5{D}_{3/2}$ and $5{D}_{5/2}$ states. For a counterpropagating beam configuration, the response of each atomic velocity group is well characterized within the Doppler profile and the excited hyperfine levels are clearly resolved. The contribution of the optical pumping to the direct two-photon process is also revealed. The results are well described in a frequency domain picture by considering the interaction of each velocity group with the cw laser and the modes of the frequency comb.