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American Journal of Physics

Hyperfine interaction versus strong laser field-optical Back–Goudsmit (Paschen–Back) effect

Wojciech Gawlik

Published Aug 1, 1991• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Strong laser perturbation of an atom with fine or hyperfine structure is analyzed in the context of a level-crossing experiment. The effect of sufficiently powerful, detuned, and/or spectrally broad light is to produce ‘‘hyperfine uncoupling,’’ which can be regarded as the optical Back–Goudsmit effect. It is easily understood in terms of an analogy between the level-crossing effect and double-slit experiment.

DOI
10.1119/1.16748

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Strong laser perturbation of an atom with fine or hyperfine structure is analyzed in the context of a level-crossing experiment. The effect of sufficiently powerful, detuned, and/or spectrally broad light is to produce ‘‘hyperfine uncoupling,’’ which can be regarded as the optical Back–Goudsmit effect. It is easily understood in terms of an analogy between the level-crossing effect and double-slit experiment.
We investigate experimentally and theoretically the Faraday effect in an atomic medium in the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime, where the Zeeman interaction is larger than the hyperfine splitting. We use a small permanent magnet and a micro-fabricated vapour cell, giving magnetic fields of the order of a tesla. We show that for low absorption and small rotation angles, the refractive index is well approximated by the Faraday rotation signal, giving a simple way to measure the atomic refractive index. Fitting to the atomic spectra, we achieve magnetic field sensitivity at the 10 −4 level. Finally we note that the Faraday signal shows zero crossings which can be used as temperature insensitive error signals for laser frequency stabilization at large detuning. The theoretical sensitivity for 87 Rb is found to be ∼40 kHz °C −1 .
The optical Hanle effect (light-shift-induced zero-field level crossing) has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. In the case of a $J=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ three-level system and of a $J=0\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1$ two-level system, the resonance line shape has been obtained using a nonlinear-response-function method. Approximate expressions, valid under the conditions for the observation of light shifts, are obtained and compared with exact calculations as well as with the corresponding expression for the magnetic Hanle effect. As concerns the weak laser beam which produces the coherent excitation of atomic substates, we have calculated the linear response in the limiting case of monochromatic and of broad-band excitation. The experimental investigation has been performed for the Ba resonance line using two cw dye lasers at $\ensuremath{\lambda}=5535$ \AA{} and an atomic beam. The absorption- and dispersion-shaped level crossing resonances have been observed, for narrow- and broad-band excitation, by varying the power of the strong nonresonant laser beam. We have checked that the line shapes are only dependent upon the reduced variable $\frac{{P}_{L}}{\ensuremath{\delta}}$ (PL{P}_{L}PL​; beam power; $\ensuremath{\delta}$: frequency detuning). Using the theoretical expressions, we have tried to fit the experimental curves. Provided that the Gaussian distribution of the beams is taken into account, we have obtained a good agreement between theory and experiment for the whole set of experimental data.
We investigate experimentally and theoretically the Faraday effect in an atomic medium in the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime, where the Zeeman interaction is larger than the hyperfine splitting. We use a small permanent magnet and a micro-fabricated vapour cell, giving magnetic fields of the order of a tesla. We show that for low absorption and small rotation angles, the refractive index is well approximated by the Faraday rotation signal, giving a simple way to measure the atomic refractive index. Fitting to the atomic spectra, we achieve magnetic field sensitivity at the 10−4 level. Finally we note that the Faraday signal shows zero crossings which can be used as temperature insensitive error signals for laser frequency stabilization at large detuning. The theoretical sensitivity for 87Rb is found to be ∼40 kHz °C−1.
Abstract We experimentally study the level mixing, splitting and repulsion of an optically driven atomic multi-level system under two competing interactions. The strength of the optical coupling is increased until it surpasses the atomic hyperfine interaction responsible for mixing the magnetic substates. Due to the multi-level character of the coupled state space, the level shifts exhibit complex behavior reminiscent of the Paschen–Back effect. Our results show that multi-level effects can have significant influence for strong external drive, differing from a simple model of effective non-interacting two-level systems. These results highlight the relevance of imperfections of the light polarization or initial state preparation in strongly optically driven systems.
We experimentally study the level mixing, splitting and repulsion of an optically driven atomic multi-level system under two competing interactions. The strength of the optical coupling is increased until it surpasses the atomic hyperfine interaction responsible for mixing the magnetic substates. Due to the multi-level character of the coupled state space, the level shifts exhibit complex behavior reminiscent of the Paschen-Back effect. Our results show that multi-level effects can have significant influence for strong external drive, differing from a simple model of effective non-interacting two-level systems. These results highlight the relevance of imperfections of the light polarization or initial state preparation in strongly optically driven systems.
The forward scattering of a resonant intense and broad-band (of the order of 1 GHz) laser light on sodium atoms is described. The experimental results for the D 1 and D 2 sodium lines (the 3 2 S 1/2 -3 2 P 1/2 and 3 2 S 1/2 -3 2 P 3/2 transitions) are compared with those of the scattering of the light from a conventional spectral lamp and from a monochromatic laser. The observed differences are explained by taking into account the Zeeman coherences created in the irradiated atoms and the concept of the 'hyperfine uncoupling' is proposed for describing the interaction of atoms with the broad-band laser light.