Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC)

Light Shift of Coherent Population Trapping Resonances

A. Nagel, R. Wynands, Dieter Meschede

Published Aug 24, 2005• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have measured the spectral position of the absorption minimum in a coherent population trapping resonance in thermal cesium vapor as a function of light intensity. The dependence of position on intensity is found to be almost linear. We have furthermore studied the dependence of this light shift on neon bufier gas pressure and flnd a strong reduction for higher pressures. So the addition of a bufier gas not only reduces the linewidth of the resonance but also a very important systematic efiect for precision measurements. An atomic three-level system with two low-lying and long-lived levels (a so-called ⁄ system) can exhibit a two-photon resonance when the difierence frequency of two driving flelds matches the splitting of the two lower levels (flg. 1), !2 i !1 = !12 (1). The resonance is called \dark since one-photon absorption and resonance ∞uorescence are strongly reduced because of the trapping of the atomic population in a coherent superposition state of the two lower levels that is no longer coupled to the light flelds (coherent population trapping, CPT) (2). The two-photon resonance can be very narrow (3, 4), with linewidths rivaling those of the microwave-driven magnetic dipole transition between the two lower atomic states. The use of dark resonances for the construction of atomic radio frequency standards (5) or applications for precision measurements, for instance in magnetometry (6), has been suggested, and flrst steps in this direction have been taken (7). It is an essential requirement for such precision applications to understand the in∞uence of experimental conditions on the position and shape of the resonance under investigation. Because of the flnite dephasing rate between the two lower states the position of the absorption minimum at the dark resonance can depend on intensity (8,1), and in experiments a shift of the center of the resonance (light shift, AC Stark shift) is readily observed (9), as was discussed, for instance, for an atomic beam (5) or in connection with a CPT maser (10). In this letter we report measurements of the light shift of the two-photon resonance that couples two hyperflne ground-state levels of the cesium atoms in a thermal vapor both with and without an additional bufier gas.

DOI
10.1109/eqec.1998.715016

Related papers

Light shift of coherent population trapping resonances

A. Nagel, Sebastián Brandt, Dieter Meschede +1 more

We have measured the spectral position of the absorption minimum in a coherent population trapping resonance in thermal cesium vapor as a function of light intensity. The dependence of position on intensity is found to be almost linear. We have furthermore studied the dependence of this light shift on neon buffer gas pressure and find a strong reduction for higher pressures. So the addition of a buffer gas not only reduces the linewidth of the resonance but also a very important systematic effect for precision measurements.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Nov 15, 1999•31 citations

Light shift of coherent population trapping resonances

R. Wynands, A. Nagel, Dieter Meschede +2 more

Although the frequency position of the non-coupled state in coherent population trapping does not depend on light intensities, this is not true for the experimentally observed dark resonance minimum. For precision applications, this shift constitutes a major systematic effect. We have measured the light shift in an atomic celsium vapor, as a function of buffer gas pressures. The experimental data for the unbuffered vapor can be reproduced quantitatively with a simple model, taking into account the atomic velocity distribution and the excited state hyperfine structure. The buffered vapor requires a more complicated model.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Feb 25, 1999•0 citations

Magnetometer and frequency standard based on coherently prepared thermal alkali atomic vapors

C. Affolderbach, W R G Kemp, Svenja A. Knappe +3 more

Summary form only given. We have experimentally investigated the potential of narrow coherent population trapping resonances for precision applications like magnetometry or atomic frequency standards. CPT can be observed in /spl Lambda/ systems where two ground states are coupled to a common excited state by two near-resonant light fields. Effective formation of ground state coherences takes place when the frequency difference of the light fields precisely matches the ground state splitting. This process leads to reduced absorption in the medium (electromagnetically induced transparency) and thus reduced fluorescence intensity (dark resonance) at the optical resonance frequency. Extremely narrow dark resonances can be observed when the two light fields have fixed phase and frequency difference and time-of-flight broadening is suppressed by the use of a buffer gas, making this type of system a promising candidate for precision applications. The /spl Lambda/ systems under study here are the D/sub 2/ lines of Cs, /sup 87/Rb and /sup 85/Rb where the ground state hyperfine splittings are 9.2 GHz, 6.8 GHz, and 3.0 GHz, respectively. Thus in a magnetic field the CPT resonance splits into several Zeeman components whose frequency positions are determined by the Breit-Rabi formula.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•May 7, 2000•1 citation

Addition to the dynamic Stark shift of the coherent population trapping resonance

Gavriil Voloshin, Konstantin Barantsev, Andrey Litvinov

This paper presents a theoretical study of the light-induced shift of the coherent population trapping resonance. An analytical model is proposed that describes the interaction of two radiation components with an atomic system using a $Λ$ scheme and takes into account an additional level of excited state. Both weak and strong coupling regimes with off-resonant transitions are considered. It is shown that, in addition to the conventional dynamic Stark shift, an extra shift arises due to the distortion of the resonance line shape when bichromatic laser radiation interacts with off-resonant atomic transitions. An analytical expression for this additional shift is derived in the weak-coupling limit, and its significant impact on the resonance shape and sensitivity to the intensities of the laser field components is demonstrated. It is found that under strong coupling conditions, the additional shift can deviate substantially from a linear dependence on light intensity, suggesting new opportunities for controlling light shifts in precision atomic devices such as quantum frequency standards.

quant-pharXiv:2601.10319•Physical Review A•Jan 16, 2026•0 citations

Investigation of experimental parameters of coherent population trapping with cesium vapor cell

Zhi Liu, Diao Wen-Ting, Jieying Wang +5 more

According to the Λ -type three-level system consisting of cesium 6S1/2 (F=3 and F=4) long-lived ground states and 6P3/2 (F'=4) excited state, we experimentally investigate and theoretically analyze the parameters of coherent population trapping (CPT) spectra in a cesium atomic vapor cell with or without neon as buffer gas. The CPT of the full width at half maximum (FWHM), the signal amplitude as a function of optical intensity of the two phased-locked laser beams with a frequency difference of 9.19263177 GHz (the hyperfine splitting in the cesium ground state 6S1/2), relative intensity ratio, beam spot size, residual magnetic field of the magnetic shielding, and the influence of with and without the cesium vapor cell containing neon as buffer gas are investigated experimentally. With the optimized parameters, we obtain the CPT signal FWHM to be as narrow as ～ 340 Hz.

Acta Physica Sinica•Jan 1, 2012•2 citations

A frequency reference based in VCSEL-driven dark line resonances in Cs vapor

John E. Kitching, N. Vukičević, Alexander S. Zibrov +4 more

Summary form only given. We report on recent experiments to use dark line coherent population trapping (CPT) resonances in cesium vapor as the basis for a compact frequency reference. The resonance is excited by directly modulating the injection current of a VCSEL at one-half the ground state hyperfine transition of Cs (4.6 GHz) to produce RF sidebands on the optical carrier. The laser output is then passed through a room-temperature cell containing Cs at its vapor pressure together with 8.7 kPa of Neon buffer gas and the transmitted optical power is detected in a photodiode. When the laser carrier is tuned half way between the two hyperfine components of the D/sub 2/ line at 852 nm, and the RF modulation frequency is adjusted to be equal to one-half the hyperfine splitting, the absorption of the sidebands through the cell is slightly reduced due to the CPT effect. As the RF frequency is scanned over the resonance, lock-in detection is used to produce a /spl sim/1 kHz wide dispersive error signal which is in turn used to stabilize the modulation frequency. The narrow signal is the result of the buffer gas, which reduces the time-of-flight broadening of the transition.

Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference•May 7, 2000•1 citation
We have measured the spectral position of the absorption minimum in a coherent population trapping resonance in thermal cesium vapor as a function of light intensity. The dependence of position on intensity is found to be almost linear. We have furthermore studied the dependence of this light shift on neon bufier gas pressure and flnd a strong reduction for higher pressures. So the addition of a bufier gas not only reduces the linewidth of the resonance but also a very important systematic efiect for precision measurements. An atomic three-level system with two low-lying and long-lived levels (a so-called ⁄ system) can exhibit a two-photon resonance when the difierence frequency of two driving flelds matches the splitting of the two lower levels (flg. 1), !2 i !1 = !12 (1). The resonance is called \dark since one-photon absorption and resonance ∞uorescence are strongly reduced because of the trapping of the atomic population in a coherent superposition state of the two lower levels that is no longer coupled to the light flelds (coherent population trapping, CPT) (2). The two-photon resonance can be very narrow (3, 4), with linewidths rivaling those of the microwave-driven magnetic dipole transition between the two lower atomic states. The use of dark resonances for the construction of atomic radio frequency standards (5) or applications for precision measurements, for instance in magnetometry (6), has been suggested, and flrst steps in this direction have been taken (7). It is an essential requirement for such precision applications to understand the in∞uence of experimental conditions on the position and shape of the resonance under investigation. Because of the flnite dephasing rate between the two lower states the position of the absorption minimum at the dark resonance can depend on intensity (8,1), and in experiments a shift of the center of the resonance (light shift, AC Stark shift) is readily observed (9), as was discussed, for instance, for an atomic beam (5) or in connection with a CPT maser (10). In this letter we report measurements of the light shift of the two-photon resonance that couples two hyperflne ground-state levels of the cesium atoms in a thermal vapor both with and without an additional bufier gas.
We have measured the spectral position of the absorption minimum in a coherent population trapping resonance in thermal cesium vapor as a function of light intensity. The dependence of position on intensity is found to be almost linear. We have furthermore studied the dependence of this light shift on neon buffer gas pressure and find a strong reduction for higher pressures. So the addition of a buffer gas not only reduces the linewidth of the resonance but also a very important systematic effect for precision measurements.
Although the frequency position of the non-coupled state in coherent population trapping does not depend on light intensities, this is not true for the experimentally observed dark resonance minimum. For precision applications, this shift constitutes a major systematic effect. We have measured the light shift in an atomic celsium vapor, as a function of buffer gas pressures. The experimental data for the unbuffered vapor can be reproduced quantitatively with a simple model, taking into account the atomic velocity distribution and the excited state hyperfine structure. The buffered vapor requires a more complicated model.
Summary form only given. We have experimentally investigated the potential of narrow coherent population trapping resonances for precision applications like magnetometry or atomic frequency standards. CPT can be observed in /spl Lambda/ systems where two ground states are coupled to a common excited state by two near-resonant light fields. Effective formation of ground state coherences takes place when the frequency difference of the light fields precisely matches the ground state splitting. This process leads to reduced absorption in the medium (electromagnetically induced transparency) and thus reduced fluorescence intensity (dark resonance) at the optical resonance frequency. Extremely narrow dark resonances can be observed when the two light fields have fixed phase and frequency difference and time-of-flight broadening is suppressed by the use of a buffer gas, making this type of system a promising candidate for precision applications. The /spl Lambda/ systems under study here are the D/sub 2/ lines of Cs, /sup 87/Rb and /sup 85/Rb where the ground state hyperfine splittings are 9.2 GHz, 6.8 GHz, and 3.0 GHz, respectively. Thus in a magnetic field the CPT resonance splits into several Zeeman components whose frequency positions are determined by the Breit-Rabi formula.
This paper presents a theoretical study of the light-induced shift of the coherent population trapping resonance. An analytical model is proposed that describes the interaction of two radiation components with an atomic system using a ΛΛΛ scheme and takes into account an additional level of excited state. Both weak and strong coupling regimes with off-resonant transitions are considered. It is shown that, in addition to the conventional dynamic Stark shift, an extra shift arises due to the distortion of the resonance line shape when bichromatic laser radiation interacts with off-resonant atomic transitions. An analytical expression for this additional shift is derived in the weak-coupling limit, and its significant impact on the resonance shape and sensitivity to the intensities of the laser field components is demonstrated. It is found that under strong coupling conditions, the additional shift can deviate substantially from a linear dependence on light intensity, suggesting new opportunities for controlling light shifts in precision atomic devices such as quantum frequency standards.
According to the Λ -type three-level system consisting of cesium 6S1/2 (F=3 and F=4) long-lived ground states and 6P3/2 (F'=4) excited state, we experimentally investigate and theoretically analyze the parameters of coherent population trapping (CPT) spectra in a cesium atomic vapor cell with or without neon as buffer gas. The CPT of the full width at half maximum (FWHM), the signal amplitude as a function of optical intensity of the two phased-locked laser beams with a frequency difference of 9.19263177 GHz (the hyperfine splitting in the cesium ground state 6S1/2), relative intensity ratio, beam spot size, residual magnetic field of the magnetic shielding, and the influence of with and without the cesium vapor cell containing neon as buffer gas are investigated experimentally. With the optimized parameters, we obtain the CPT signal FWHM to be as narrow as ～ 340 Hz.
Summary form only given. We report on recent experiments to use dark line coherent population trapping (CPT) resonances in cesium vapor as the basis for a compact frequency reference. The resonance is excited by directly modulating the injection current of a VCSEL at one-half the ground state hyperfine transition of Cs (4.6 GHz) to produce RF sidebands on the optical carrier. The laser output is then passed through a room-temperature cell containing Cs at its vapor pressure together with 8.7 kPa of Neon buffer gas and the transmitted optical power is detected in a photodiode. When the laser carrier is tuned half way between the two hyperfine components of the D/sub 2/ line at 852 nm, and the RF modulation frequency is adjusted to be equal to one-half the hyperfine splitting, the absorption of the sidebands through the cell is slightly reduced due to the CPT effect. As the RF frequency is scanned over the resonance, lock-in detection is used to produce a /spl sim/1 kHz wide dispersive error signal which is in turn used to stabilize the modulation frequency. The narrow signal is the result of the buffer gas, which reduces the time-of-flight broadening of the transition.