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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Light switching at low light level based on changes in light polarization

Xudong Yang, Shujing Li, Xuemin Cao, Hai Wang

Published Apr 7, 2008• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We studied the polarization spectroscopy of a linearly-polarized optical (probe) field in a multi-Zeeman-sublevel atomic system of the 87Rb D1 line. The polarization spectroscopy signals of the probe light result from the changes in its polarization, which are caused by a left-circularly polarized pumping beam. A theoretical analysis involving multiple Zeeman sublevels is presented and the results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. Based on this phenomenon, we demonstrated a light switch at low light level (~68 photons per λ2/2π) with a switching efficiency of ~3%.

DOI
10.1088/0953-4075/41/8/085403

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We studied the polarization spectroscopy of a linearly-polarized optical (probe) field in a multi-Zeeman-sublevel atomic system of the 87Rb D1 line. The polarization spectroscopy signals of the probe light result from the changes in its polarization, which are caused by a left-circularly polarized pumping beam. A theoretical analysis involving multiple Zeeman sublevels is presented and the results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations. Based on this phenomenon, we demonstrated a light switch at low light level (~68 photons per λ2/2π) with a switching efficiency of ~3%.
The polarization rotation of a linearly polarized optical (probe) field caused by a left-circularly polarized pumping beam is studied in an opened two-level system of a 87 Rb atom. Letting a linearly polarized optical field (probe) and left-circularly polarized pumping beams co-propagate through a Rb vapor, we observe the featurable polarization rotation signals of the linearly polarized probe field via the asymmetric optical pumping with low intensities. Based on this phenomenon, a polarization-controlled light switching can be demonstrated at a low light level. Such a scheme of polarization rotation can be extended in a solid or semi-conduct material and find a practical application in all-optical information processing.
We investigate, both theoretically and experimentally, the phenomenon of polarization rotation of a weak, linearly polarized optical (probe) field in an atomic system with multiple three-level electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) subsystems. The polarization rotation angle can be controlled by a circularly polarized coupling beam, which breaks the symmetry in number of EIT subsystems seen by the left and right circularly polarized components of the weak probe beam. A large polarization rotation angle (up to 45\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}) has been achieved with a coupling beam power of only 15mW15\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mW}15mW. Detailed theoretical analyses including different transition probabilities in different transitions and Doppler-broadening are presented and the results are in good agreements with the experimentally measured results.
Abstract This paper describes the first observation of polarization-selective four-wave mixing signals in conventional coupling-probe spectroscopy, specifically, saturation absorption spectroscopy in 85Rb atoms. The four-wave mixing signal is induced by two counter-propagating laser beams in a degenerate multi-level atomic system, involving the Fg=3→Fe=2,3F_g=3 \rightarrow F_e =2,3Fg​=3→Fe​=2,3 F g = 3 → F e = 2 , 3 , and 4 transitions of the 85Rb D2 line. Consequently, the four-wave mixing signals copropagating along the probe beam induce polarization rotation of a linearly polarized probe beam. To distinguish these four-wave mixing signals from the resulting probe beam, we detect the polarization components orthogonal to the polarization direction of the input probe beam, depending on the linear polarization angles between the probe and coupling beams. The experimental findings demonstrate excellent agreement with theoretical results.
Abstract In this article, we present the influence of structured light on the line shape of closed hyperfine transition F = 2 → F ′ = 3 of 87Rb-D2 line by monitoring the linearly polarized probe Gaussian beam in the presence of circularly polarized pump Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beam having different orders of orbital angular momentum (OAM). It is observed that both the amplitude and line-width of the closed hyperfine signal under polarization spectroscopy (PS) are enhanced (reduced) with the increasing values of the pump light ellipticity for the non-zero-order (zero-order) OAM. Furthermore, the dispersion-like PS signal of the closed hyperfine transition is modified by varying the pump power and angular mismatch of the pump-probe beams. The experimental results demonstrate that the anisotropy of an atomic medium can be influenced by the OAM of light and can be further modulated by tuning the ellipticity of the structured light.
We show that the four-wave mixing (FWM) processes in a multi-Zeeman level atomic system can be enhanced and suppressed by changing the polarization of one of the pump beams. Different polarization states of the pump beams will act on different transition pathways among the multi-Zeeman levels with different transition strengths, which affect the FWM efficiencies. An additional dress field applied to the adjacent transition can cause energy level splitting and therefore control the enhancement and suppression of the FWM processes in the system. The experimental results are in good agreement with our theoretical calculations.
A theoretical analysis of the relative intensities of the Doppler-free signals in saturation spectroscopy, velocity selective optical pumping (VSOP) spectroscopy, polarization spectroscopy and a mixing of saturation and polarization spectroscopies is presented using the approximation of a single cycle of optical pumping in a four-level system. An optical pumping process in the Zeeman sublevels is taken into account owing to the important role of spontaneous emission even if the sublevels are degenerate. Arbitrary polarization combinations are considered for pump and probe beams. The similarities and differences between three kinds of spectroscopy are made clear. Both circular and linear optical anisotropies induced by the pump beam are considered in this theoretical calculation. The magnitude and sign of Doppler-free resonances in each spectroscopy are quite different owing to the polarizations of the pump and probe beams. The four-level system is important as a three-level approximation. The results obtained from the four-level optical pumping theory are in good agreement with experimental reports.