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Physical Review A

Polarization rotation effects in atomic sodium vapor

P. F. Liao, Gary C. Bjorklund

Published May 1, 1977• 59 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Polarization rotation effects in atomic sodium vapor are studied both experimentally and theoretically. Two pulsed dye laser beams propagate collinearly through a cell containing sodium vapor. The direction of polarization of a linearly polarized dye laser beam of frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ is found to be rotated by a circularly polarized beam of frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}$. This rotation is due to the difference in refractive index at ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ for right and left circularly polarized light which is produced by the circularly polarized beam. When ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}$ is tuned near the $3S\ensuremath{-}5S$ two-photon transition of atomic sodium, this difference is primarily due to the dispersion associated with the two-photon transition. Other sources of polarization rotation which were identified include (i) real transfers of population to excited atomic levels due to collisionally induced transitions and (ii) optically induced atomic energy-level shifts. The theory includes both the effects of two-photon dispersion and optically induced energy shifts. The application of the two-photon polarization rotation effect as a fast, optically controlled shutter or modulator and as a sensitive detection technique for two-photon spectroscopy are briefly discussed.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.15.2009

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B. Röhricht, Patrik Eschle, S. Dangel +1 more

Abstract A variety of surprising effects arise from the nonlinear light-matter interaction of circularly polarized laser light propagating through sodium vapor. We present experimental evidence for an asymmetry in the absorption of left hand and right hand circularly polarized light as well as for the creation of a collimated light beam of apposite polarization within the light-matter interaction region. Both effects are not yet explained by common theories.

Zeitschrift für Naturforschung A•Jun 1, 1993•5 citations
Polarization rotation effects in atomic sodium vapor are studied both experimentally and theoretically. Two pulsed dye laser beams propagate collinearly through a cell containing sodium vapor. The direction of polarization of a linearly polarized dye laser beam of frequency \ensuremathω1{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}\ensuremathω1​ is found to be rotated by a circularly polarized beam of frequency \ensuremathω2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}\ensuremathω2​. This rotation is due to the difference in refractive index at \ensuremathω1{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}\ensuremathω1​ for right and left circularly polarized light which is produced by the circularly polarized beam. When \ensuremathω1+\ensuremathω2{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}\ensuremathω1​+\ensuremathω2​ is tuned near the 3S\ensuremath−5S3S\ensuremath{-}5S3S\ensuremath−5S two-photon transition of atomic sodium, this difference is primarily due to the dispersion associated with the two-photon transition. Other sources of polarization rotation which were identified include (i) real transfers of population to excited atomic levels due to collisionally induced transitions and (ii) optically induced atomic energy-level shifts. The theory includes both the effects of two-photon dispersion and optically induced energy shifts. The application of the two-photon polarization rotation effect as a fast, optically controlled shutter or modulator and as a sensitive detection technique for two-photon spectroscopy are briefly discussed.
A polarization-rotation effect is demonstrated which utilizes the dispersion associated with $3S\ensuremath{-}5S$ two-photon transitions in sodium vapor. A linearly polarized beam at ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{1}$ is rotated by a circularly polarized beam at ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}$ when ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{2}$ is near the two-photon transition frequency. When combined with a polarizer a rapid optical shutter is obtained.
Two independently tunable, linearly polarized dye lasers are counterpropagated through a heat pipe containing sodium vapor. The frequency of the first laser ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ is incremented through both 3p2{p}^{2}p2P1/2{P}_{1/2}P1/2​,3/2 fine-structure levels while the second laser ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{2}$ is scanned through the energy increment necessary to reach ns 2S1/2^{2}S_{1/2}2S1/2​ and nd2{\mathrm{nd}}^{2}nd2D3/2{D}_{3/2}D3/2​,5/2 levels (n=5--35). Following excitation, ionization occurs through chemi-ionizing collisions. The polarization (defined as the ionization intensity measured when the two planes of polarization of the laser beams are parallel minus the intensity when perpendicular divided by the sum of the intensities) P=(I?{I}_{?}I?​-${I}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$)/(I?{I}_{?}I?​+${I}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}$) goes from +1 to -1 as ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ is tuned between the 3p2{p}^{2}p2P1/2{P}_{1/2}P1/2​,3/2 fine-structure levels. This novel polarization effect is shown to be due to an interference between the two pathways to the ns 2S1/2^{2}S_{1/2}2S1/2​ levels. Upon exciting the unresolved nd 2D3/2^{2}D_{3/2}2D3/2​,5/2 levels, the polarization is very close to zero when ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{1}$ is at or near the 3p 2P3/2^{2}P_{3/2}2P3/2​,1/2 levels. A simple few-level atom theory reproduces the experimental observations except for the case when both lasers are in resonance.
Circularly polarized laser beams propagating through sodium vapor and tuned to the buffer gas broadened atomic D1 transition can optically pump sodium atoms into a nonabsorbing groundstate. The corresponding groundstate populations depend on the intensity distribution, the polarization and the magnetic fields. They lead to refractive index gradients along as well as transverse to the laser beam propagation direction and therefore modify the light path giving rise to a number of nonlinear spatiotemporal intensity and polarization pattern creating processes.
The interaction of left- and right-hand circularly polarized narrow-band cw laser beams that copropagate through sodium vapor and are tuned to the homogeneously broadened D1 transition can lead to the mutual extinction of both beams. Such beam switching is caused by an intensity- and polarization-dependent refractive index due to optical pumping even at low intensities. The dynamics of beam switching is investigated experimentally and explained qualitatively by the conventional J = 1/2 to J = 1/2 transition model. The accurate quantitative description, however, is only achieved by an extended model comprising hyperfine ground states in spite of homogeneous line broadening by argon buffer gas, which is larger than the hyperfine splitting.