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Journal of the Physical Society of Japan

Time Development of the Population Grating in Zeeman Sublevels in Sodium Vapor–Detection of Zeeman Quantum Beats

Koichi Yamada, Yukio Fukuda, Tsuneo Hashi

Published Feb 1, 1981• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The population gratings were created by two intersecting resonant light pulses in the ground state 3 2 S 1/2 and the excited state 3 2 P 1/2 in sodium vapor, and their developements in a static magnetic field were monitored by the diffraction of the resonant probe pulse. Intensity modulations of the diffraction signals at the Zeeman frequencies (Zeeman beats) were observed, which are due to the oscillation of the LIPG's. The detailed analysis of the creation, detection and the time development of the LIPG was made in a simple model system with total angular momentum J =1/2 in both the ground and the excited states. The observed beat patterns were compared with the theoretical calculations including the effects of hyperfine interaction in both states. Polarization characteristics were also examined. The agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results was quite satisfactory.

DOI
10.1143/jpsj.50.592

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Laser Induced Population Grating in Sodium Vapor

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By using two intersecting resonant pulses from a laser, we produced Laser Induced Population Gratings in atomic sodium vapor, and with an aid of a delayed probe pulse, observed “Zeeman beats,” anomalous effects of Na–Ar collision and a new type of echo. These new phenomena can be interpreted in terms of the dynamics of LIPG's. The description of the Zeeman beat experiment is given in some details.

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The Journal of Chemical Physics•May 15, 1989•0 citations

Hyperfine and Zeeman quantum beats of the Na(3 /sup 2/P/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/--3 /sup 2/S/sub 1//sub ///sub 2/) transition, and the decay of coherence

Masaaki Baba, Kazumi Namba, Hajime Katô

Quantum beats of the Na(3 /sup 2/P/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/--3 /sup 2/S/sub 1//sub ///sub 2/) transition and their change with the magnetic field were observed in pure Na vapor and Na+He gas by using a picosecond laser system. The energies of the hyperfine and Zeeman sublevels of the 3 /sup 2/P/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ and 3 /sup 2/S/sub 1//sub ///sub 2/ states were calculated by using the reported hyperfine constants and g factors, and the theoretical curve of the quantum beats was calculated. The results were in good agreement with the observed profile of the quantum beats in phase of modulation, but the difference of the amplitudes increased with time. By comparing the amplitude of the theoretical curve of the quantum beats with that of the experimental curve, we determined the relaxation time of coherence. The decay of amplitude of the modulation was found to become faster as the pressure of the foreign gas (He) was increased. The decay of amplitude, i.e., the decay of coherence arises from the dephasing, which occurs from the fluctuation of the level energies induced by the interatomic interaction.

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New component in degenerate four-wave mixing of optical pulses in sodium vapor

Salim N. Jabr, L. K. Lam, R. W. Hellwarth

We have observed a new component in the signals produced by degenerate four-wave mixing of 5-nsec optical pulses by the $D$-line resonances of sodium vapor. This component is comparable in intensity to that previously observed from a grating pattern of excited sodium atoms, but arises rather from a grating of coherently aligned (but not optically pumped) ground-state atoms. This component exists when there are no spatial intensity beats between input waves.

Physical Review A•Dec 1, 1981•26 citations
The population gratings were created by two intersecting resonant light pulses in the ground state 3 2 S 1/2 and the excited state 3 2 P 1/2 in sodium vapor, and their developements in a static magnetic field were monitored by the diffraction of the resonant probe pulse. Intensity modulations of the diffraction signals at the Zeeman frequencies (Zeeman beats) were observed, which are due to the oscillation of the LIPG's. The detailed analysis of the creation, detection and the time development of the LIPG was made in a simple model system with total angular momentum J =1/2 in both the ground and the excited states. The observed beat patterns were compared with the theoretical calculations including the effects of hyperfine interaction in both states. Polarization characteristics were also examined. The agreement between theoretical predictions and experimental results was quite satisfactory.
For pt.I see ibid., vol.20, p.251 (1987). Theoretical expressions for cascade light intensity as a function of time have been evaluated for the case of cascade Zeeman beats produced by two-step excitation with broad-line laser pulses, and the results are compared with experimentally observed cascade Zeeman beats in Fe I. The beats were detected in time-resolved fluorescence from intermediate levels populated by cascades from highly excited levels of Fe I, using three different stepwise-excitation-cascade sequences. In the case of coincident laser pulses, good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained over a range of magnetic fields when allowance is made for Larmor precessions during the excitation period, for the width and shape of the exciting laser pulses and for the contribution of impurity processes. The effects of precession during the excitation period are especially important for the excitation sequence a 5 D 4 to z 5 F degrees 5 to e 5 F 5 , for which short-pulse theories predict no quantum beats for the experimental geometry used (parallel linear polarisations in the two excitation steps). For non-coincident pulses a predicted oscillation in the amplitude of the cascade beats with magnetic field has also been observed.
We report detailed studies of freely evolving Zeeman coherence (Zeeman quantum beats) observed after optically pumping a gas of Na atoms and suddenly turning off the light field. This Zeeman coherence corresponds to a macroscopic magnetization that precesses in an external magnetic field; it is detected with a cw optical probe beam by using polarization-selective detection of the transmitted light. The amplitude and the phase of the signal show a pronounced variation with laser intensity, laser detuning, and the strength of the magnetic field. This dependence was measured on the 3s2S1/2 ground state of sodium, using the D1 line for optical excitation and detection. The experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions based on a Bloch-type equation of motion for an optically driven spin system in a J = 1/2 ground state.
Quantum beats of the Na(3 2P3/2–3 2S1/2) transition and their change with the magnetic field were observed in pure Na vapor and Na+He gas by using a picosecond laser system. The energies of the hyperfine and Zeeman sublevels of the 3 2P3/2 and 3 2S1/2 states were calculated by using the reported hyperfine constants and g factors, and the theoretical curve of the quantum beats was calculated. The results were in good agreement with the observed profile of the quantum beats in phase of modulation, but the difference of the amplitudes increased with time. By comparing the amplitude of the theoretical curve of the quantum beats with that of the experimental curve, we determined the relaxation time of coherence. The decay of amplitude of the modulation was found to become faster as the pressure of the foreign gas (He) was increased. The decay of amplitude, i.e., the decay of coherence arises from the dephasing, which occurs from the fluctuation of the level energies induced by the interatomic interaction.
Quantum beats of the Na(3 /sup 2/P/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/--3 /sup 2/S/sub 1//sub ///sub 2/) transition and their change with the magnetic field were observed in pure Na vapor and Na+He gas by using a picosecond laser system. The energies of the hyperfine and Zeeman sublevels of the 3 /sup 2/P/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ and 3 /sup 2/S/sub 1//sub ///sub 2/ states were calculated by using the reported hyperfine constants and g factors, and the theoretical curve of the quantum beats was calculated. The results were in good agreement with the observed profile of the quantum beats in phase of modulation, but the difference of the amplitudes increased with time. By comparing the amplitude of the theoretical curve of the quantum beats with that of the experimental curve, we determined the relaxation time of coherence. The decay of amplitude of the modulation was found to become faster as the pressure of the foreign gas (He) was increased. The decay of amplitude, i.e., the decay of coherence arises from the dephasing, which occurs from the fluctuation of the level energies induced by the interatomic interaction.
We have observed a new component in the signals produced by degenerate four-wave mixing of 5-nsec optical pulses by the DDD-line resonances of sodium vapor. This component is comparable in intensity to that previously observed from a grating pattern of excited sodium atoms, but arises rather from a grating of coherently aligned (but not optically pumped) ground-state atoms. This component exists when there are no spatial intensity beats between input waves.