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Bulletin of the American Physical Society

Efficient 5D Excitation of Trapped Rb Atoms with Pulsed Diode- Laser Light*

W. Supetitz, B C Duncan, D.I. Lee, P. L. Gould

Published May 1, 1996• 0 citations
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Abstract

The authors have demonstrated that appropriately time-ordered pulses of diode-laser light can provide efficient population transfer in a three-level cascade system. Laser-trapped Rb atoms are excited from the 5S ground state to the highly-excited 5D level (via the 5P intermediate level) with nearly 100% efficiency. Diode-lasers at 780 nm (5S{yields}5P) and 776 nm (5P{yields}5D) are pulsed with acousto-optic modulators to provide the excitation. The variation of transfer efficiency with relative delay between the two pulses is in good agreement with theoretical expectations. Optimum excitation occurs for the counterintuitive pulse ordering, i.e., when the upper transition is driven first.

Related papers

Efficient 5D excitation of trapped Rb atoms using pulses of diode-laser light in the counterintuitive order

Wenko Süptitz, B. C. Duncan, P. L. Gould

We demonstrate that appropriately time-ordered pulses of diode-laser light can provide efficient population transfer in a three-level cascade system. Laser-trapped Rb atoms are excited from the 5S ground state to the highly-excited 5D level (through the 5P intermediate level) with a transfer efficiency approaching 100%. Diode-laser light at 780 nm (5S→5P) and 776 nm (5P→5D) is switched with acousto-optic modulators to provide the excitation. The measured variation of transfer efficiency with relative delay between the two pulses is in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions. However, the intensities needed for efficient transfer are significantly higher than expected. In general, optimum excitation occurs for the counterintuitive pulse ordering, i.e., when the upper transition is driven first.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•May 1, 1997•37 citations

Laser cooled rubidium atoms in the 5D5/2 level: Excitation, photoionization and collisions

B C Duncan

A series of experiments is performed on cold 85Rb atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap. A variation of Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) is used to transfer population from the 5S 1/2 ground state to the 5D5/2 state with an efficiency exceeding 80%. This process relies on moderately intense pulses arriving in the counterintuitive order, i.e., the upper transition (5P → 5D) driven before the lower transition (5S → 5P ). There is reasonable agreement with computer simulations, excepting a marked discrepancy between measured intensities and those used in the simulations. With a large ensemble of 5D atoms available, the 5D photoionization cross section at four different laser wavelengths (1064, 788, 647 and 532 nm) is determined via trap loss measurements. The theoretical calculations agree well with the experimental results (17.7, 10.9, 7.6 and 5.2 Mb, respectively). An experiment to measure the 5S-5D collisional rate constant sets an order-of-magnitude upper bound of 10−10 cm3/s, assuming all atoms are 5S-5D pairs. ^

•Oct 1, 2001•0 citations

Efficient population transfer in a ladder system by chirped pulses

Bart Noordam

Enhanced population transfer from the lowest to the highest level in the three-state ladder 5s->5p->5d of the rubidium atom by frequency swept ultra short laser pulses is observed if the frequency sweep first makes the pulse resonant with the 5s->5p transition, and later with the 5p->5d transition. With this intuitive scheme it is possible to achieve complete population inversion via the intermediate level by two successive adiabatic passages. Complete inversion is also obtained by a {open_quote}counterintuitive{close_quote} direction of the frequency-sweep, in which case population of the intermediate level during the pulse is strongly reduced. The atomic system can be seen as a model system for multistep vibrational excitation in an anharmonic molecular potential.

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•May 1, 1993•0 citations

Excitation of Rydberg states in rubidium with near infrared diode lasers

Donald P. Fahey, Michael W. Noel

A system of three external cavity diode lasers is used to excite Rydberg states in rubidium. The 5S→5P→5D transitions are driven using lasers with λ = 780 and 776 nm respectively. From the 5D state, atoms fluoresce down to the 6P state. The final transition to Rydberg levels is from the 6P state with laser light near λ = 1016 nm. The nS and nD Rydberg states are accessible directly and with the application of a modest electric field nP states can also be excited. As a test of this system, Stark spectra are collected for nD and nP states.

Optics Express•Aug 16, 2011•39 citations

Laser-Induced Population Changes of 5P and 5D Levels in Rubidium Vapor

Wang Shu-ying

Enhancement and reduction of the fluorescence intensity in Rb atomic vapor are observed. The reduction is due to a depopulation of the 5P - {3/2 } state upon illumination of a Rb vapor cell with light corresponding to the 5P - {3/2 }→5D - {5/2 } transition. Collisional transfer of the 5D - {5/2 } atoms to the 5D - {3/2 } state, followed by radiative decay to the 5P - {1/2 } state, creates an increase in the population of the 5P - {1/2 } state. The increase in the excited state population results in an increase in the fluorescence intensity of the 5P - {1/2 }→5S - {1/2 } transition. The laser-induced population changes are monitored by the decrease or increase of the corresponding fluorescence signals. Using the steady-state rate equations, the rate constants for the stimulated emission(i.e., 5D - {5/2 }→5P - {3/2 }) is 2.0×10 +8s + {-1 }. The cross section for the fine-structure changing collision(i.e., 5D - {5/2 }→5D - {3/2 }) is 6.4×10 + {-14 }cm +2.

Shinjang dashösi ilmiy jurnili•Jan 1, 2005•0 citations

Interference in climbing a quantum ladder system with frequency-chirped laser pulses

Péter Balling, D. J. Maas, Lambertus D. Noordam

Excitation of a quantum ladder system by frequency-swept (-chirped) laser pulses has been investigated by studying an atomic model system, the 5s-5p-5d ladder of rubidium. The population transfer is significantly enhanced when the frequency is swept such that it follows the spacing of the ladder. At intermediate intensities we observe oscillations in the population transfer to the upper level (5d), which can be attributed to interference between two routes of excitation: sequential transfer and direct two-photon excitation via a virtual intermediate state. We determine simultaneously the population transfer to the upper level (5d) and the direct three-photon ionization, the latter corresponding to a three-step ladder with the final state being in the continuum: 5s-5p-5d-\ensuremath{\varepsilon}p/\ensuremath{\varepsilon}f. Experiments were performed, using 100 fs pulses at \ensuremath{\sim}780 nm from a self-mode-locked Ti:${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ oscillator amplified at 10 Hz.

Physical Review A•Nov 1, 1994•99 citations
The authors have demonstrated that appropriately time-ordered pulses of diode-laser light can provide efficient population transfer in a three-level cascade system. Laser-trapped Rb atoms are excited from the 5S ground state to the highly-excited 5D level (via the 5P intermediate level) with nearly 100% efficiency. Diode-lasers at 780 nm (5S{yields}5P) and 776 nm (5P{yields}5D) are pulsed with acousto-optic modulators to provide the excitation. The variation of transfer efficiency with relative delay between the two pulses is in good agreement with theoretical expectations. Optimum excitation occurs for the counterintuitive pulse ordering, i.e., when the upper transition is driven first.
We demonstrate that appropriately time-ordered pulses of diode-laser light can provide efficient population transfer in a three-level cascade system. Laser-trapped Rb atoms are excited from the 5S ground state to the highly-excited 5D level (through the 5P intermediate level) with a transfer efficiency approaching 100%. Diode-laser light at 780 nm (5S→5P) and 776 nm (5P→5D) is switched with acousto-optic modulators to provide the excitation. The measured variation of transfer efficiency with relative delay between the two pulses is in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions. However, the intensities needed for efficient transfer are significantly higher than expected. In general, optimum excitation occurs for the counterintuitive pulse ordering, i.e., when the upper transition is driven first.
A series of experiments is performed on cold 85Rb atoms confined in a magneto-optical trap. A variation of Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) is used to transfer population from the 5S 1/2 ground state to the 5D5/2 state with an efficiency exceeding 80%. This process relies on moderately intense pulses arriving in the counterintuitive order, i.e., the upper transition (5P → 5D) driven before the lower transition (5S → 5P ). There is reasonable agreement with computer simulations, excepting a marked discrepancy between measured intensities and those used in the simulations. With a large ensemble of 5D atoms available, the 5D photoionization cross section at four different laser wavelengths (1064, 788, 647 and 532 nm) is determined via trap loss measurements. The theoretical calculations agree well with the experimental results (17.7, 10.9, 7.6 and 5.2 Mb, respectively). An experiment to measure the 5S-5D collisional rate constant sets an order-of-magnitude upper bound of 10−10 cm3/s, assuming all atoms are 5S-5D pairs. ^
Enhanced population transfer from the lowest to the highest level in the three-state ladder 5s->5p->5d of the rubidium atom by frequency swept ultra short laser pulses is observed if the frequency sweep first makes the pulse resonant with the 5s->5p transition, and later with the 5p->5d transition. With this intuitive scheme it is possible to achieve complete population inversion via the intermediate level by two successive adiabatic passages. Complete inversion is also obtained by a {open_quote}counterintuitive{close_quote} direction of the frequency-sweep, in which case population of the intermediate level during the pulse is strongly reduced. The atomic system can be seen as a model system for multistep vibrational excitation in an anharmonic molecular potential.
A system of three external cavity diode lasers is used to excite Rydberg states in rubidium. The 5S→5P→5D transitions are driven using lasers with λ = 780 and 776 nm respectively. From the 5D state, atoms fluoresce down to the 6P state. The final transition to Rydberg levels is from the 6P state with laser light near λ = 1016 nm. The nS and nD Rydberg states are accessible directly and with the application of a modest electric field nP states can also be excited. As a test of this system, Stark spectra are collected for nD and nP states.
Enhancement and reduction of the fluorescence intensity in Rb atomic vapor are observed. The reduction is due to a depopulation of the 5P - {3/2 } state upon illumination of a Rb vapor cell with light corresponding to the 5P - {3/2 }→5D - {5/2 } transition. Collisional transfer of the 5D - {5/2 } atoms to the 5D - {3/2 } state, followed by radiative decay to the 5P - {1/2 } state, creates an increase in the population of the 5P - {1/2 } state. The increase in the excited state population results in an increase in the fluorescence intensity of the 5P - {1/2 }→5S - {1/2 } transition. The laser-induced population changes are monitored by the decrease or increase of the corresponding fluorescence signals. Using the steady-state rate equations, the rate constants for the stimulated emission(i.e., 5D - {5/2 }→5P - {3/2 }) is 2.0×10 +8s + {-1 }. The cross section for the fine-structure changing collision(i.e., 5D - {5/2 }→5D - {3/2 }) is 6.4×10 + {-14 }cm +2.
Excitation of a quantum ladder system by frequency-swept (-chirped) laser pulses has been investigated by studying an atomic model system, the 5s-5p-5d ladder of rubidium. The population transfer is significantly enhanced when the frequency is swept such that it follows the spacing of the ladder. At intermediate intensities we observe oscillations in the population transfer to the upper level (5d), which can be attributed to interference between two routes of excitation: sequential transfer and direct two-photon excitation via a virtual intermediate state. We determine simultaneously the population transfer to the upper level (5d) and the direct three-photon ionization, the latter corresponding to a three-step ladder with the final state being in the continuum: 5s-5p-5d-\ensuremath{\varepsilon}p/\ensuremath{\varepsilon}f. Experiments were performed, using 100 fs pulses at \ensuremath{\sim}780 nm from a self-mode-locked Ti:Al2{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}Al2​O3{\mathrm{O}}_{3}O3​ oscillator amplified at 10 Hz.