We report an experimental observation of the variation in linewidth of the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance in a three-level ?-type system for several laser bandwidths in a Rb vapor cell, with and without a buffer gas. It is found, using narrow bandwidth (about 20 kHz) diode laser for both coupling and probe beams, that the linewidth of the EIT resonance can be significantly narrowed in the Rb vapor cell with the buffer gas. The results are in good qualitative agreement with a simple theoretical calculation.
Comparison of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) Spectra for Six-level Lambda
Λ and Five-level V-type Systems
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is experimentally studied in a rubidium vapour cell (without buffer gas, both
87Rb and
85Rb present according to their natural abundance) kept within two-layers of
μ(μ)-metal shields to avoid the effect of Earth's magnetic field on the energy levels of atomic rubidium. An external cavity diode laser (ECDL), used as a low power probe laser, is locked to the hyperfine cross-over peak of
F=2→F′=2,3 transitions of
87Rb. The frequency of another ECDL, the pump laser, is set to scan the
F=1→F′=0,1,2 transitions of
87Rb. These form the
Λ-type six level system. In the V-type system, both the pump and the probe lasers share the same
F=2 ground level. The probe beam coming out of the cell is detected by a low noise fast photodetector. The resulting spectra show signature of EIT in the "peak" for the
Λ-type system and in the "dip" for the V-type system. Numerical calculation based simulated spectra are also compared with the experimental spectra. In both the cases very narrow EIT linewidth
(Γt<Γ) is observed even at high value of pump Rabi-frequency
(Ωc≫Γ). Narrower value of EIT linewidth is due to Doppler averaging phenomena.
We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization to excited state transitions using cascade electromagnetically induced transparency. Using a room temperature Rb vapor cell as a reference, we stabilize a first diode laser to the D2 transition and a second laser to a transition from the intermediate 5P3/2 state to a highly excited state with principal quantum number n=19–70. A combined laser linewidth of 280±50 kHz over a 100 μs time period is achieved. This method may be applied generally to any cascade system and allows laser stabilization to an atomic reference in the absence of a direct absorption signal.