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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics

Direct observation of the Autler-Townes effect in the optical range

J. L. Picqué, Jacques Pinard

Published Apr 1, 1976• 85 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A two-step optical resonance experiment, which realizes the optical analogue of the Autler-Townes experiment, has been performed on a sodium atomic beam excited by two CW narrow-band dye lasers. An intense laser radiation was locked to a component of the D 2 resonance line while a weak laser radiation probed an upper connected transition. A dynamic Stark splitting of the probe transition was clearly observed for various intensities of the strong resonant radiation.

DOI
10.1088/0022-3700/9/5/003

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Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics•May 11, 1974•414 citations
A two-step optical resonance experiment, which realizes the optical analogue of the Autler-Townes experiment, has been performed on a sodium atomic beam excited by two CW narrow-band dye lasers. An intense laser radiation was locked to a component of the D 2 resonance line while a weak laser radiation probed an upper connected transition. A dynamic Stark splitting of the probe transition was clearly observed for various intensities of the strong resonant radiation.
The dynamic Stark effect (Autler-Townes splitting and radiative shift) of a J = 0 ↔ J = 1 optical transition have been investigated. The barium atomic beam is illuminated by a strong pump beam, resonant or slightly non-resonant with the BaI resonance line (λ = 5 535 Å) ; the fluorescence induced by a weak probe beam is detected versus the probe frequency. With linear polarizations for the two beams one deals either with a two-level (parallel polarizations) or with a three-level system (perpendicular polarizations). In the latter case and for small detunings of the pump beam, the Autler-Townes doublet has been observed. For large detunings of the pump beam a single, shifted resonance has been obtained with both polarization settings. In the three-level case the observation of the passage from the Autler-Townes situation to the light-shift situation, is reported. The corresponding calculations are presented; a particular attention is paid to the case of large detunings for the pump beam (light-shift situation). The evolution calculated for the resonance curve (position and relative intensities of the peaks) when the relative polarization directions are changed is consistent with the experimental data.
The dependence of the optical Autler-Townes effect on laser field phase fluctuations describable by a two-dimensional Markovian process (phase-diffusion model with a non-Lorentzian line shape) is investigated experimentally in atomic sodium. An intense cw laser tuned to near resonance with the 3S1/2{3\mathrm{S}}_{1/2}3S1/2​(F=2,MF{\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{F}}MF​=2)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3P3/2{3\mathrm{P}}_{3/2}3P3/2​(F=3,MF{\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{F}}MF​=3) transition was frequency modulated to generate phase fluctuations with the desired characteristics. A weak probe laser coupling to the 4D5/2{D}_{5/2}D5/2​(F=4, MF{M}_{F}MF​=4) state was used to obtain the double-peaked optical Autler-Townes absorption profiles in order to investigate their dependencies on band shape, bandwidth, intensity, and detuning of the intense fluctuating laser field. Reversals of the peak-height asymmetry and reversion to normal asymmetry with increased detuning were observed and measured. Quantitative studies of the spectral widths and splittings of the peaks are also reported. Measured absorption profiles are in excellent agreement with calculations based on previous theoretical work.
The author investigates the Autler-Townes effect (also known as AC, optical or dynamical Stark splitting) on the Balmer- alpha transition of hydrogen in 0.5-5 Torr of helium. In the double optical resonance scheme. H(3p) is excited by absorption of two 243 nm photons and a 656 nm photon via the 2s resonant intermediate level. Calculated results show that in a Doppler-free or a 'Doppler-reduced' beam configuration, the required intensity of the 656 nm laser (0.2 cm -1 bandwidth) for observation of the Autler-Townes doublet has to be greater than 2*10 4 and 2*10 5 W cm -2 for 243 nm laser bandwidths of 0.1 and 0.5 cm -1 , respectively.