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Optics Letters

Birefringence in electromagnetically induced transparency

Francesco Saverio Pavone, Giovanni Bianchini, F. S. Cataliotti, Theodor W. Hänsch, M. Inguscio

Published May 15, 1997• 34 citations
Publisher

Abstract

(4)He 2 (3)S(1) --> 2 (3)P transitions at 1083 nm were laser probed in the presence of radiation that coupled the 2 (3)P level with the 3 (3)S(1) level in a ladder scheme. The metastable helium that was used was produced in a rf discharge. Significant atomic birefringence was detected, in addition to complete electromagnetically induced transparency. A simple theoretical model explains the experimental results.

DOI
10.1364/ol.22.000736

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(4)He 2 (3)S(1) --> 2 (3)P transitions at 1083 nm were laser probed in the presence of radiation that coupled the 2 (3)P level with the 3 (3)S(1) level in a ladder scheme. The metastable helium that was used was produced in a rf discharge. Significant atomic birefringence was detected, in addition to complete electromagnetically induced transparency. A simple theoretical model explains the experimental results.
We have investigated atomic coherence effects in the ladder scheme of the triplet transitions 2S-2P-3S of helium. A powerful dressing laser at 706 nm in resonance with the 2P-3S transition induces a transparency on the 2S-2P transition at 1083 nm probed by a weak laser. We have characterised this induced transparency also known as Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), demonstrating the possibility of reaching 100% of bleaching. Also, we have evidenced the presence of the two photon effect on the EIT process by studying its dependence on the mutual probe-dress polarisation angle. With such a simple level scheme a quantitative comparison with the theory has been made possible and many of the predicted effects have been investigated. Furthermore, polarisation of the dressing laser field has allowed for the first time the study of the electromagnetically induced birefringence which causes a change in the probe laser polarization. The experiments were performed not only in the clean environment of a metastable atomic beam but also in a weak radiofrequency discharge; this configuration could be suggestive for non inverted gain phenomena through incoherent population of excited levels.
Rydberg atoms efficiently link photons between the radio-frequency (rf) and optical domains. They furnish a medium in which the presence of an rf field imprints on the transmission of a probe laser beam by altering the coherent coupling between atomic quantum states. The immutable atomic energy structure underpins quantum-metrological rf-field measurements and has driven intensive efforts to realize inherently self-calibrated sensing devices. Here, we investigate spectroscopic signatures owing to the quantization of atomic angular momentum. Using an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) sensing scheme, specific combinations of atomic terms are shown to give rise to universal, distinctive fingerprints in the detected optical fields upon rotating a linearly polarized rf field. Employing a dressed state picture, we identify two types of atomic angular momentum ladders that display strikingly disparate spectroscopic characteristics, including the distinctive absence or presence of a central spectral EIT peak. Our study adds important insights into the prospects of Rydberg atomic gases for quantum-metrological electric field characterization including polarimetry. In particular, it calls into question prevailing interpretations of SI-traceable Rydberg atom electrometers.
Sum-frequency generation with electromagnetically induced transparency is investigated experimentally as the generation of coherent Lyman-(Beta) radiation (103 nm) in atomic hydrogen. We demonstrate that with the application of a strong laser field to couple the 2 s and 3 p levels, the resonant Lyman-(Beta) transition becomes transparent, and the generated wave continues to grow without suffering resonant absorption. At a density-length product NL of 3 X 1015 cm-2, a conversion efficiency of 2 X 10-4 is obtained for the coherent 103 nm radiation.
We report on experimental and theoretical study of the nonlinear Faraday effect under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency at the $5{S}_{1/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{D}_{5/2}$ two-photon transition in rubidium vapor. These transitions realize the inverted YYY model which combines the $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and ladder systems. Strong nonlinearity allowing for large rotation angles of a probe beam tuned to the $S\ensuremath{\rightarrow}P$ transition was obtained by creation of quantum superpositions of magnetic sublevels (Zeeman coherences) in the rubidium ground state ($\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ scheme). Additionally, electromagnetically induced transparency was accomplished in a ladder scheme by acting with a second strong coupling laser on the $P\ensuremath{\rightarrow}D$ transition. Under conditions of a two-photon resonance the rotation was significantly reduced, which is interpreted as a competition between the coherent processes. The effect was observed in sub-Gauss magnetic fields and could be used for efficient coherent control of generation of the ground-state coherences, e.g., for controlling the polarization state of the probe light.