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Physical Review Letters

Sensitive Electric Field Measurement by Fluorescence-Dip Spectroscopy of Rydberg States of Atomic Hydrogen

Uwe Czarnetzki, D Luggenhölscher, H. F. Döbele

Published Nov 23, 1998• 85 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Fluorescence-dip spectroscopy based on an optical double resonance is used to probe the Stark splitting in highly excited Rydberg states of atomic hydrogen. After Doppler-free two-photon excitation to $n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}3$, fluorescence at Balmer $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ is observed. When the radiation of a second laser is tuned over the resonance between $n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}3$ and a Rydberg state, the Stark splitting manifests itself as a series of dips in the Balmer- $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ fluorescence intensity. Rydberg states up to $n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}55$ can be identified. The minimum detectable electric field is $5\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{cm}$. This is about an order of magnitude more sensitive than other laser-induced fluorescence techniques.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.81.4592

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Fluorescence-dip spectroscopy based on an optical double resonance is used to probe the Stark splitting in highly excited Rydberg states of atomic hydrogen. After Doppler-free two-photon excitation to n=3n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}3n=3, fluorescence at Balmer \ensuremathα\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremathα is observed. When the radiation of a second laser is tuned over the resonance between n=3n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}3n=3 and a Rydberg state, the Stark splitting manifests itself as a series of dips in the Balmer- \ensuremathα\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremathα fluorescence intensity. Rydberg states up to n=55n\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}55n=55 can be identified. The minimum detectable electric field is 5V/cm5\mathrm{V}/\mathrm{cm}5V/cm. This is about an order of magnitude more sensitive than other laser-induced fluorescence techniques.
The Stark splitting of the second excited level of atomic hydrogen (with principal quantum number n=3n=3n=3) has been measured by pulsed laser spectroscopy in order to determine small electric fields by optical means. Doppler-free excitation with two counterpropagating laser beams at 205nm205\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}205nm allows us to measure the n=3n=3n=3 Stark spectra either by an optogalvanic signal after ionization by a third laser photon or by detection of the Balmer-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ fluorescence photons emitted by the excited atoms. Three different cases of laser polarization have been investigated in order to evaluate the possibilities and limitations of this one-step laser excitation method for electric field determination, especially at field strengths below 200V∕cm200\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{V}∕\mathrm{cm}200V∕cm. The method provides the best field sensitivity achieved with lower excited levels that can be reached directly by two-photon absorption from the ground state (in contrast to the more sensitive Rydberg levels). For this purpose, an advanced tunable pulsed uv laser with narrow bandwidth almost at the Fourier limit has been used. The high spectral resolution allowed us to deduce electric field strengths as small as 50V∕cm50\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{V}∕\mathrm{cm}50V∕cm from the frequency shift between two selected isolated Stark components. As a main advantage, this simple analysis of the measured spectra does not rely on knowledge of the line intensities which may be strongly affected by the measuring conditions.
Rydberg states of atomic helium with principal quantum numbers ranging from n=20n=20n=20 to n=100n=100n=100 have been prepared by non-resonance-enhanced single-color two-photon excitation from the metastable 23S12\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{{}^{3}S}_{1}23S1​ state. Photoexcitation was carried out using linearly and circularly polarized pulsed laser radiation. In the case of excitation with circularly polarized radiation, Rydberg states with azimuthal quantum number $|{m}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}|=2$ were prepared in zero electric field and in homogeneous electric fields oriented parallel to the propagation axis of the laser radiation. In sufficiently strong electric fields, individual Rydberg--Stark states were resolved spectroscopically, highlighting the suitability of non-resonance-enhanced multiphoton excitation schemes for the preparation of long-lived high-$|{m}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}|$ hydrogenic Rydberg states for deceleration and trapping experiments. Applications of similar schemes for Doppler-free excitation of positronium atoms to Rydberg states are also discussed.
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Rydberg-assisted atomic electrometry with thermal vapors offers a promising approach for detecting external electric fields. However, this technique presents significant challenges for measuring low frequencies due to the effects of metal-alkali atoms adsorbed on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. In this work, we apply high-contrast Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectroscopy to systematically investigate these effects, including the influence of laser power and electric field strength. We demonstrate the ability to measure electric field frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. Additionally, this study identifies a fundamental limit for data capacity in such measurements. Furthermore, we propose a method for precise Stark shift measurements by locking the coupling laser to Zeeman-split Rydberg EIT peaks. Using the Zeeman shift in a reference cell as a stable frequency reference, we are able to track Stark-induced shifts in a science cell and confirm excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. These results provide valuable insights for future precision measurement techniques and field sensing applications based on Rydberg atom systems.