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arXiv:2411.14426 · Physical Review Letters

Quantum States Imaging of Magnetic Field Contours Based on Autler-Townes Effect in Ytterbium Atoms

Tanaporn Na Narong, Hongquan Li, Joshua Tong, Mario Dueñas, Leo W. Hollberg

Published May 12, 2025• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

An intercombination transition in Yb enables a novel approach for rapidly imaging magnetic field variations with excellent spatial and temporal resolution and accuracy. This quantum imaging magnetometer reveals "dark stripes" that are contours of constant magnetic field visible by eye or capturable by standard cameras. These dark lines result from a combination of Autler-Townes splitting and the spatial Hanle effect in the ^{1}S_{0}-^{3}P_{1} transition of Yb when driven by multiple strong coherent laser fields (carrier and AM/FM modulation sidebands of a single-mode 556 nm laser). We show good agreement between experimental data and our theoretical model for the closed, 4-level Zeeman shifted V system and demonstrate scalar and vector magnetic field measurements at video frame rates over spatial dimensions of 5 cm with 0.1 mm resolution. Additionally, the ^{1}S_{0}-^{3}P_{1} transition allows for ∼μs response time and a large dynamic range (from microtesla to many tesla).

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.134.193201

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An intercombination transition in Yb enables a novel approach for rapidly imaging magnetic field variations with excellent spatial and temporal resolution and accuracy. This quantum imaging magnetometer reveals "dark stripes" that are contours of constant magnetic field visible by eye or capturable by standard cameras. These dark lines result from a combination of Autler-Townes splitting and the spatial Hanle effect in the ^{1}S_{0}-^{3}P_{1} transition of Yb when driven by multiple strong coherent laser fields (carrier and AM/FM modulation sidebands of a single-mode 556 nm laser). We show good agreement between experimental data and our theoretical model for the closed, 4-level Zeeman shifted V system and demonstrate scalar and vector magnetic field measurements at video frame rates over spatial dimensions of 5 cm with 0.1 mm resolution. Additionally, the ^{1}S_{0}-^{3}P_{1} transition allows for ∼μs response time and a large dynamic range (from microtesla to many tesla).
We describe a fast imaging atomic vector magnetometer based on laser spectroscopy of the Zeeman splitting in the (6s6p) 3P1 state of Yb. In the presence of a magnetic field gradient, we observed prominent dark stripes (visible by eye or camera) in the fluorescence (556 nm) when a thermal Yb atomic beam is driven by square-wave amplitude-modulated light at RF frequencies. The 1S0-3P1 transition forms a “V” system where two laser sidebands interact simultaneously with two 3P1 Zeeman sublevels. The dark lines are contours of constant magnetic field strength, and are consistent with theoretical models dominated by Autler-Townes Splitting. The estimated magnetic field sensitivity is ≈ 10 μG (1 nT) for 100k image pixels recorded in 3 ms.
We demonstrate millimeter wave (mmWave) imaging using Autler-Townes (AT) splitting-induced fluorescence in rubidium vapor. By employing counter-propagating probe and coupling beams, we create a plane of atoms in a dark state that is sensitive to incident mmWave and demonstrate the method with mmWaves resonant with the transition between two neighboring Rydberg states at 91.4 GHz. Objects in the mmWave’s path affect the spatial profile of the mmWave field, which, in turn, leads to spatial variation of optical fluorescence at 780 nm. This results in a transduction of the mmWave spatial profile to an optical image that can be acquired by a CCD camera. We demonstrate real-time, diffraction-limited mmWave imaging in transmission geometry, over an effective sensing area of 6.5 cm 2 with a minimum 600 µV /cm detectable electric field and a rapid 16.4 µs response time. In addition, we demonstrate this method with a variety of imaging masks, including 3D-printed vortex phase plates. Our study provides a pathway for high-speed and high-resolution mmWave imaging with potential applications in security, communications, and scientific research.
Abstract We have observed the Autler–Townes (AT) effect in single- and suspected double-photon magnetic-dipole transitions in the Cesium ground-state magnetic-sublevel manifold. Experiments were performed in a Cesium vapor cell at room temperature. The D1 line was excited by laser radiation to create ground-state optical polarization, and transitions between the ground-state magnetic sublevels were excited by radio-frequency (RF) radiation. Two different excitation geometries were studied: in one case the electric field vector of the linearly polarized laser radiation was parallel to the static magnetic field, whereas in the other case these vectors were perpendicular. The oscillating magnetic field produced by the RF coils was in the plane perpendicular to the electric field vector of the laser radiation. The AT effect was confirmed by its linear dependence on the RF magnetic field amplitude, which is proportional to the Rabi frequency, in the case of single-photon transitions. With increasing RF power we also observed peaks that by their position appeared to correspond to double and even triple photon transitions, which were more pronounced when the DC magnetic field and optical electric field vectors were perpendicular. In the peak at an energy that corresponds to two photons, splitting with a quadratic dependence on the RF magnetic field amplitude could be observed. The experimental measurements are supplemented by theoretical calculations of a model J = 1 ⟶ J = 0 system.
To isolate the Autler-Townes splitting induced by a single selected THz transition in a Cs Rydberg atom, a Zeeman-resolved EIT (electromagnetically induced transparency) signal was obtained in a high magnetic field. The electronic state was controlled by the polarizations of two lasers exciting the Cs atoms and the chosen magnetic quantization axis. Applying a THz wave with controlled polarization then enabled an observation of the Autler-Townes splitting induced by its coupling to a single dipole transition.
The Autler–Townes effect in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance has been observed using recently developed Raman heterodyne techniques. The measurements were carried out on the nitrogen-vacancy color center in diamond, where the 3A↔3E optical transition was driven by a single mode dye laser at 638 nm while the magnetic transitions in the 3A ground state were driven by two rf fields. The measured splittings in the NMR lines were found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Using the Autler–Townes effect, the magnitude of the dipole moments of the mI=0↔±1 (mS=0) transitions in the ground state was determined, and found to be the same. Comparison of this latter result with the NMR spectra shows that Raman heterodyne signal intensities are determined by population factors.