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Journal of Modern Optics

Magnetometry in dense coherent media

Irina V. Novikova, George R. Welch

Published Mar 1, 2002• 30 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The rotation of the polarization direction of linearly polarized light produced by the nonlinear magneto-optic effect has been proposed as a sensitive measure of small magnetic fields. In this paper, the advantages of this technique in optically thick media for precision magnetometry are discussed. Results are presented for measurements of this rotation for resonant light in optically dense Rb vapour under various conditions, with and without buffer gas. The sensitivity of the measurements of small magnetic field is investigated as a function of laser frequency, laser power, beam diameter and atomic density for D 1 line of 87Rb.

DOI
10.1080/09500340110088579

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The rotation of the polarization direction of linearly polarized light produced by the nonlinear magneto-optic effect has been proposed as a sensitive measure of small magnetic fields. In this paper, the advantages of this technique in optically thick media for precision magnetometry are discussed. Results are presented for measurements of this rotation for resonant light in optically dense Rb vapour under various conditions, with and without buffer gas. The sensitivity of the measurements of small magnetic field is investigated as a function of laser frequency, laser power, beam diameter and atomic density for D 1 line of 87Rb.
Application of nonlinear magneto-optical (Faraday) rotation to magnetometry is investigated. Our experimental setup consists of a modulation polarimeter that measures rotation of the polarization plane of a laser beam resonant with transitions in Rb. Rb vapor is contained in an evacuated cell with antirelaxation coating that enables atomic ground-state polarization to survive many thousand wall collisions. This leads to ultranarrow features $(\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}6} \mathrm{G})$ in the magnetic-field dependence of optical rotation. The potential sensitivity of this scheme to sub-$\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{G}$ magnetic fields as a function of atomic density, light intensity, and light frequency is investigated near the D1D1D1 and D2D2D2 lines of 85Rb.{}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}.85Rb. It is shown that through an appropriate choice of parameters the shot-noise-limited sensitivity to small magnetic fields can reach $3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12} \mathrm{G}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}.$
Nonlinear resonances in alkali metal vapor, which are detected by the magneto-optical rotation of the linear polarization of light, are actively used in quantum magnetometry to fabricate atomic magnetometers. The magneto-optical rotation in most such sensors is due to magnetic birefringence, and rotation angles usually do not exceed tens of milliradians. In this work, an experiment where magneto-optical resonances of linear polarization rotation of a probe wave are due to strong dichroism induced in a medium by a counterpropagating pump wave has been proposed. Both waves are in resonance with the Fg = 2 → Fe = 1 optical transition in the 87Rb D1 line (λ ≈ 795 nm). Experiments have been carried out with a 2-cm-long cylindrical cell filled with a buffer gas, and the maximum rotation angle is ≈390 mrad (22°) at a width of resonance of about 300 nT. The results show that the configuration proposed for the observation of magneto-optical rotation is promising for the fabrication of compact high-sensitivity atomic magnetometers.
Nonlinear resonances in alkali metal vapor, which are detected by the magneto-optical rotation of the linear polarization of light, are actively used in quantum magnetometry to fabricate atomic magnetometers. The magneto-optical rotation in most such sensors is due to magnetic birefringence, and rotation angles usually do not exceed tens of milliradians. In this work, an experiment where magneto-optical resonances of linear polarization rotation of a probe wave are due to strong dichroism induced in a medium by a counterpropagating pump wave has been proposed. Both waves are in resonance with the Fg = 2 → Fe = 1 optical transition in the 87Rb D1 line (λ ≈ 795 nm). Experiments have been carried out with a 2-cm-long cylindrical cell filled with a buffer gas, and the maximum rotation angle is ≈390 mrad (22°) at a width of resonance of about 300 nT. The results show that the configuration proposed for the observation of magneto-optical rotation is promising for the fabrication of compact high-sensitivity atomic magnetometers.
Nonlinear magneto-optical effects, originated from atomic coherence, are studied both theoretically and experimentally in thermal Rb vapor. The analytical description of the fundamental properties of coherent media are based on the simplified three- and four-level systems, and then verified using numerical simulations and experimental measurements. In particular, we analyze the modification of the long-lived atomic coherence due to various physical effects, such as reabsorption of \nspontaneous radiation, collisions with a buffer gas atoms, etc. We also discuss the importance of the high-order nonlinearities in the description of the polarization rotation for the elliptically polarized light. The effect of self-rotation of the elliptical polarization is also analyzed. \nPractical applications of nonlinear magneto-optical effects are considered in precision metrology and magnetometery, and for the generation of non-classical states of electromagnetic field.
Nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR) of linearly polarized light, resonant to the Fg = 2 → Fe = 1 atomic transition of D1 line of 87Rb is investigated experimentally, by applying spatially separated laser fields in the Rb vacuum cell. In our experiment, the probe laser beam propagates through the center of the pump laser beam, which has the shape of a hollow cylinder. We have measured the rotation of the probe laser beam polarization with respect to the incident polarization, as a function of the external magnetic field, parallel to the laser beam propagation. We show substantial narrowing of the resonance if the pump beam, with the same linear polarization, is present. The opposite direction of the probe rotation was obtained when the pump laser beam polarization is orthogonal to the probe laser beam polarization.
Larmor precession of laser-polarized atoms contained in antirelaxation-coated cells, detected via nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR), is a promising technique for a new generation of ultrasensitive atomic magnetometers. For magnetic fields directed along the light propagation direction, resonances in NMOR appear when linearly polarized light is frequency or amplitude modulated at twice the Larmor frequency. Because the frequency of these resonances depends on the magnitude but not the direction of the field, they are useful for scalar magnetometry. Additional NMOR resonances at the Larmor frequency appear when the magnetic field is tilted away from the light propagation direction in the plane defined by the light propagation and polarization vectors. These resonances, studied both experimentally and with a density matrix calculation in the present work, offer a convenient method of achieving additional information about a direction of the magnetic field.