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Physical Review Letters

Light-pressure-induced line-shape asymmetry of the saturation dip in an atomic gas

Rudolf Grimm, J. Mlynek

Published Jul 17, 1989• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report on the observation of a light-pressure-induced asymmetry of the well-known absorption dip occurring in optical saturation spectroscopy. This asymmetry is due to the small modification of the atomic velocity distribution that is caused by the spontaneous scattering force of the saturating light field. Our measurements were performed on the \ensuremath{\lambda}=555.65 nm $^{1}\mathrm{S}_{0}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{1}$ transition in atomic ytterbium vapor by the use of a frequency-modulated test field propagating collinearly with the scattering field. The experimental results clearly confirm theoretical predictions and demonstrate the significance of the phenomenon for high-resolution laser spectroscopy.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.63.232

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We report on the observation of a light-pressure-induced asymmetry of the well-known absorption dip occurring in optical saturation spectroscopy. This asymmetry is due to the small modification of the atomic velocity distribution that is caused by the spontaneous scattering force of the saturating light field. Our measurements were performed on the \ensuremath{\lambda}=555.65 nm ^{1}\mathrm{S}_{0}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{3}$${\mathrm{P}}_{1} transition in atomic ytterbium vapor by the use of a frequency-modulated test field propagating collinearly with the scattering field. The experimental results clearly confirm theoretical predictions and demonstrate the significance of the phenomenon for high-resolution laser spectroscopy.
We report on detailed studies of the effect of resonant light pressure on the optical response of an atomic gas to a single monochromatic laser field. In this very elementary situation of laser spectroscopy, the redistribution of atomic velocities that is induced by spontaneous light pressure leads to a novel contribution to the optical dispersion curve of the medium. This light-pressure-induced dispersion phenomenon displays a pronounced nonlinear dependence on the laser intensity. Moreover, for a given intensity, its strength is closely related to the laser beam diameter. As most important feature, this light-pressure-induced dispersion displays an even symmetry with respect to the optical detuning from line center. As a result, the total Doppler-broadened dispersion curve of the gas can become asymmetric, and a significant shift of the dispersion line center can occur. In addition to a detailed theoretical description of the phenomenon, we report on its experimental investigation on the \ensuremath{\lambda}=555.6 nm 1^{1}1S0{\mathit{S}}_{0}S0​${\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}^{3}$P1{\mathit{P}}_{1}P1​ transition in atomic ytterbium vapor with the use of frequency-modulation spectroscopy. The experimental findings are in good quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions.
We report on the observation of a light-pressure-induced dispersion of laser light interacting with a Doppler-broadened atomic medium. This novel dispersion feature displays an even symmetry with respect to the optical Doppler detuning; it is due to the small modification of the atomic velocity distribution caused by the spontaneous scattering force. Our phase-sensitive measurements were performed on the $\ensuremath{\lambda}=555.65$ nm $^{1}S_{0}\ensuremath{-}^{3}P_{1}$ transition in ytterbium vapor by the use of frequency-modulation spectroscopy. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
We report the results of studying the effect of the resonant light pressure force on the amplitude and frequency properties of the nonlinear susceptibility and well known absorption resonance dip occurring in optical saturation spectroscopy of two level atomic gas. On the basis of numerical solutions of the Liouville and Fokker-Plank equations the behaviour pattern of the velocity distribution function of a two-level atomic gas in relation to the saturation intensity and time of interaction with a strong resonant optical field was obtained. Time course of the velocity distribution function due to the action of spontaneous light pressure force leads to modification of the nonlinear susceptibility, absorption saturation resonant line form and to change of frequency dip relative to the atomic resonant frequency transition. The represented numerical modeling results explained qualitatively a number ofexperimental facts, that could not be explained before.
We calculate the effect of light-induced forces on the fluorescence line shape of a two-level atom crossing at right angles two counterpropagating light beams of parallel linear polarizations $(\mathrm{lin}\ensuremath{\Vert}\mathrm{lin})$ in a common configuration for ultrahigh-precision optical spectroscopy. For an incident atomic beam with a narrow spread of transverse velocities the dipole force induces a redshift of the fluorescence maximum, while in the reverse case of a wide spread of transverse velocities the radiation-pressure force induces a blueshift of the saturation dip minimum. We then use our theory to explain the blueshift of the saturation line-center dip occurring for the closed transition $2{}^{3}{S}_{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2{}^{3}{P}_{2}$ of a 4He{}^{4}\mathrm{He}4He beam. The observed shift, which is in quite good agreement with the theory, can be of the order of 1/10 of the transition natural linewidth and hence quite important for ultrahigh-precision spectroscopy measurements.
We study the effect of resonant light pressure on the optical response of a Doppler-broadened atomic medium to a single monochromatic laser field. As a main consequence of the spontaneous scattering force, a novel contribution to the optical dispersion of the atomic gas is predicted, which shows a pronounced nonlinear intensity dependence; moreover, for a given laser intensity, its strength is closely related to the laser-beam diameter. Most importantly, this light-pressure-induced dispersion displays an even symmetry with respect to the optical Doppler detuning; as a result, the total dispersion curve of the medium can be changed substantially. In addition to a detailed theoretical description of the phenomenon, we propose a simple experiment based on frequency-modulation spectroscopy for the measurement of the predicted nonlinear dispersion feature.
The effect of a force of resonance pressure of light on the amplitude and frequency properties of saturated-absorption resonance in a gas of two-level atoms was studied. On the basis of numerical solutions of the Liouville and Fokker-Planck equations, dynamics of changes in the velocity-distribution function of an ensemble of atomic particles, depending on the saturation parameter and time of their interaction with a strong field of light, was evaluated. The shape of a resonance line, related to saturated absorption, and its location relative to the frequency of the atomic transition were determined taking into account the dynamics of the distribution function. The results of the calculations are compared with the experimental data.