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Physical Review Letters

Quantum Beats in Transmission by Time-Resolved Polarization Spectroscopy

Wulfhard K. Lange, J. Mlynek

Published May 22, 1978• 68 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A novel technique is described for high-resolution spectroscopy. The time evolution of a coherent superposition of atomic substates created by a short resonant laser pulse is monitored via changes in polarization of a delayed probe pulse due to stimulated emission. As a demonstration the method was applied to the Zeeman splitting of the $6^{3}P_{1}$ state of ytterbium.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.40.1373

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A novel technique is described for high-resolution spectroscopy. The time evolution of a coherent superposition of atomic substates created by a short resonant laser pulse is monitored via changes in polarization of a delayed probe pulse due to stimulated emission. As a demonstration the method was applied to the Zeeman splitting of the 63P16^{3}P_{1}63P1​ state of ytterbium.
A technique is described for high-resolution spectroscopy using resonance absorption from a laser to monitor the time evolution of a coherently excited superposition of atomic states. As a demonstration a measurement was made of the 32P123^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}32P21​​ hyperfine splitting in sodium.
Abstract The paper surveys the techniques of Doppler-free spectroscopy based on the creation and detection of Hertzian coherence in atomic and molecular systems. The preparation of individual atoms in a coherent superposition of states with the use of broadband optical excitation is discussed, with particular reference to excitation by pulsed tunable dye lasers. Time-resolved observations of the fluorescent light emitted by these atoms reveal the interference phenomenon known as quantum beats and enable Landé g-factors, fine and hyperfine splittings of excited levels to be determined. An account of progress in recent experiments with probe-beam monitoring and pulse trains from mode-locked dye lasers completes this review.
Measurements of hyperfine polarization quantum beats are used to determine the magnetic dipole (A) and electric quadrupole (B) coupling constants in the excited atomic Cs 8p2P3/28p{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{2}{P}_{3/2}8p2P3/2​ level. The experimental approach is a combination of pulsed optical pumping and time-delayed stimulated-emission probing of the excited level. From the measured evolution of the atomic linear polarization degree as a function of probe delay time, we determine the hyperfine coupling constants A=7.42(6)A=7.42(6)A=7.42(6) MHz and B=0.14(29)B=0.14(29)B=0.14(29) MHz.