Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review A

Optical Stern-Gerlach effect from the Zeeman-like ac Stark shift

Chang Yong Park, Ji Young Kim, Jong Min Song, D. Cho

Published Feb 20, 2002• 25 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report a different type of optical Stern-Gerlach effect, where a magnetic-field gradient is replaced with a light-intensity gradient and a paramagnetic atom is deflected according to its magnetic quantum number. The laser light is detuned between the $D1$ and $D2$ frequencies, with the size of the detuning from the $D2$ resonance being twice that from the $D1$ resonance, and it is circularly polarized to produce an ac Stark shift that takes the form of a pure Zeeman shift. Slow rubidium atoms are extracted from a magneto-optical trap and then spin polarized. The atoms traversing the laser-intensity gradient on one side of the Gaussian beam profile show deflections that depend on the atomic spin state and the laser polarization. When the laser-beam axis is aligned with the slit that defines the atomic beam, we observe focusing and defocusing of the atomic beam.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.65.033410

Related papers

Measurement of the Zeeman-like ac Stark shift

Chang Yong Park, Heeso Noh, Chungmok Lee +1 more

We demonstrate that when laser light is circularly polarized and properly detuned, the ac Stark shift of an alkali-metal atom in its ground state takes the form of a pure Zeeman shift. The condition is satisfied when the laser frequency is between the $D1$ and $D2$ transition frequencies, with the size of the detuning from the $D2$ resonance twice that from the $D1$ resonance. The direction of the effective magnetic field is along the laser propagation axis, and its magnitude is proportional to the vector polarizability of the atom and to the laser intensity. We use stimulated Raman spectroscopy on an optically pumped slow atomic beam from a magneto-optical trap to measure the vector polarizability and saturated absorption spectroscopy to show that the scalar polarizability vanishes at the particular detuning.

Physical Review A•Feb 9, 2001•28 citations

Measurement of the analogous Zeeman shift using a low-velocity intense source

Chang Yong Park, Chung Mok Lee, Eu Suk Oh +1 more

The energy shift of an atom due to its interaction with the oscillating electric field of an electromagnetic wave, or a laser light, is called the ac Stark shift. It has been studied both in the field of precision spectroscopy and atom optics. When the laser intensity is not constant spatially, its gradient gives rise to a dipole force. The force was used either to trap atoms in an optical trap or to reflect or guide atoms. We studied the ac Stark effect taking into account the fine structure of an alkali atom. We found that when the laser light is circularly polarized and properly detuned between the D1 and D2 transitions, the ac Stark shift can take the form of a pure Zeeman shift, hence the name analogous Zeeman shift.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim (CLEO-PR)•Jan 20, 2003•0 citations

Experimental demonstration of the optical Stern-Gerlach effect

Tycho Sleator, Tilman Pfau, V. I. Balykin +2 more

We report the observation of the splitting of an atomic beam by the optical Stern-Gerlach effect. A beam of metastable He atoms interacts with a nearly or exactly resonant laser field with a well-defined intensity gradient perpendicular to the atomic beam. The coherent splitting of the atomic beam is produced in the case of exact resonance. For the nonresonant case, a deflection of the atomic beam is observed. We have studied the splitting and deflection of the atomic beam as a function of laser detuning from resonance. Our results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

Physical Review Letters•Mar 30, 1992•132 citations

Stern-Gerlach effect of weak-light ultraslow vector solitons

Chao Hang, Guoxiang Huang

We propose a scheme to exhibit Stern-Gerlach deflection of high-dimensional vector optical solitons at a weak-light level in a cold atomic gas via electromagnetically induced transparency. We show that the propagating velocity and generation power of such solitons can be reduced to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}c$ ($c$ is light speed in vacuum) and lowered to magnitude of nanowatt, respectively. The stabilization of the solitons is realized by using an optical lattice potential formed by a far-detuned laser field, and trajectories of them are deflected significantly by using a transversal Stern-Gerlach gradient magnetic field. Deflection angles of the solitons can be of magnitude of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ rad when propagating several millimeters. Different from atomic Stern-Gerlach deflection, deflection angles of the solitons can be distinct for different polarization components and can be manipulated in a controllable way. The result obtained can be described in terms of the Stern-Gerlach effect for vector optical solitons with quasispin and effective magnetic moment.

arXiv:1209.0106•Physical Review A•Oct 5, 2012•31 citations

Deflection of slow light in a Stern-Gerlach magnetic field

Leon Karpa, Martin Weitz

Electromagnetically induced transparency allows for light transmission through dense atomic media by means of quantum interference of absorption amplitudes. Media exhibiting electromagnetically induced transparency have interesting properties, such as very slow group velocities. Associated with the slow light propagation are quasiparticles, so-called dark polaritons, which are mixtures of a photonic and an atomic contribution. Here, we demonstrate that these excitations behave as particles with a nonzero magnetic moment, which is in clear contrast to the properties of a free photon. It is found that circularily polarized light passing through a rubidium gas cell under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency is deflected by a small magnetic field gradient. The deflection angle is proportional to the propagation time of an optical pulse through the cell. The observed beam deflection can be understood by assuming that dark state polaritons have an effective magnetic moment. This is attributed to the spin wave contribution that develops upon entry of light into the medium. Our experiment can be described in terms of a Stern-Gerlach experiment for the dark polaritons.

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe & European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe-EQEC)•Jun 1, 2007•0 citations

Measurements of light shifts in cold atoms using Raman pump-probe spectroscopy

Nathan Souther, R. Wagner, Peter Harnish +2 more

We have measured light shifts, also known as AC Stark shifts, as a function of laser intensity in cold Rubidium atoms by observing sub-natural linewidth gain and loss features in the transmission spectrum of a weak probe beam passing through the atomic sample. The observed energy-level shifts for atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are found to be consistently higher than that obtained in optical molasses (i.e., when the magnetic field gradient in the MOT is turned off). Using a simple model of a multilevel Rubidium atom interacting with pump and probe beams, we have calculated the theoretical light shift as a function of intensity. A comparison of these calculated values with the light shift data obtained for molasses reveals good agreement between experiment and theory. Further, our model elucidates the role of the Zeeman shifts arising from the magnetic field gradient in the observed probe transmission spectrum for the MOT.

Laser Physics Letters•Feb 8, 2010•15 citations
We report a different type of optical Stern-Gerlach effect, where a magnetic-field gradient is replaced with a light-intensity gradient and a paramagnetic atom is deflected according to its magnetic quantum number. The laser light is detuned between the D1D1D1 and D2D2D2 frequencies, with the size of the detuning from the D2D2D2 resonance being twice that from the D1D1D1 resonance, and it is circularly polarized to produce an ac Stark shift that takes the form of a pure Zeeman shift. Slow rubidium atoms are extracted from a magneto-optical trap and then spin polarized. The atoms traversing the laser-intensity gradient on one side of the Gaussian beam profile show deflections that depend on the atomic spin state and the laser polarization. When the laser-beam axis is aligned with the slit that defines the atomic beam, we observe focusing and defocusing of the atomic beam.
We demonstrate that when laser light is circularly polarized and properly detuned, the ac Stark shift of an alkali-metal atom in its ground state takes the form of a pure Zeeman shift. The condition is satisfied when the laser frequency is between the D1D1D1 and D2D2D2 transition frequencies, with the size of the detuning from the D2D2D2 resonance twice that from the D1D1D1 resonance. The direction of the effective magnetic field is along the laser propagation axis, and its magnitude is proportional to the vector polarizability of the atom and to the laser intensity. We use stimulated Raman spectroscopy on an optically pumped slow atomic beam from a magneto-optical trap to measure the vector polarizability and saturated absorption spectroscopy to show that the scalar polarizability vanishes at the particular detuning.
The energy shift of an atom due to its interaction with the oscillating electric field of an electromagnetic wave, or a laser light, is called the ac Stark shift. It has been studied both in the field of precision spectroscopy and atom optics. When the laser intensity is not constant spatially, its gradient gives rise to a dipole force. The force was used either to trap atoms in an optical trap or to reflect or guide atoms. We studied the ac Stark effect taking into account the fine structure of an alkali atom. We found that when the laser light is circularly polarized and properly detuned between the D1 and D2 transitions, the ac Stark shift can take the form of a pure Zeeman shift, hence the name analogous Zeeman shift.
We report the observation of the splitting of an atomic beam by the optical Stern-Gerlach effect. A beam of metastable He atoms interacts with a nearly or exactly resonant laser field with a well-defined intensity gradient perpendicular to the atomic beam. The coherent splitting of the atomic beam is produced in the case of exact resonance. For the nonresonant case, a deflection of the atomic beam is observed. We have studied the splitting and deflection of the atomic beam as a function of laser detuning from resonance. Our results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
We propose a scheme to exhibit Stern-Gerlach deflection of high-dimensional vector optical solitons at a weak-light level in a cold atomic gas via electromagnetically induced transparency. We show that the propagating velocity and generation power of such solitons can be reduced to ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}c$ (ccc is light speed in vacuum) and lowered to magnitude of nanowatt, respectively. The stabilization of the solitons is realized by using an optical lattice potential formed by a far-detuned laser field, and trajectories of them are deflected significantly by using a transversal Stern-Gerlach gradient magnetic field. Deflection angles of the solitons can be of magnitude of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ rad when propagating several millimeters. Different from atomic Stern-Gerlach deflection, deflection angles of the solitons can be distinct for different polarization components and can be manipulated in a controllable way. The result obtained can be described in terms of the Stern-Gerlach effect for vector optical solitons with quasispin and effective magnetic moment.
Electromagnetically induced transparency allows for light transmission through dense atomic media by means of quantum interference of absorption amplitudes. Media exhibiting electromagnetically induced transparency have interesting properties, such as very slow group velocities. Associated with the slow light propagation are quasiparticles, so-called dark polaritons, which are mixtures of a photonic and an atomic contribution. Here, we demonstrate that these excitations behave as particles with a nonzero magnetic moment, which is in clear contrast to the properties of a free photon. It is found that circularily polarized light passing through a rubidium gas cell under the conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency is deflected by a small magnetic field gradient. The deflection angle is proportional to the propagation time of an optical pulse through the cell. The observed beam deflection can be understood by assuming that dark state polaritons have an effective magnetic moment. This is attributed to the spin wave contribution that develops upon entry of light into the medium. Our experiment can be described in terms of a Stern-Gerlach experiment for the dark polaritons.
We have measured light shifts, also known as AC Stark shifts, as a function of laser intensity in cold Rubidium atoms by observing sub-natural linewidth gain and loss features in the transmission spectrum of a weak probe beam passing through the atomic sample. The observed energy-level shifts for atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are found to be consistently higher than that obtained in optical molasses (i.e., when the magnetic field gradient in the MOT is turned off). Using a simple model of a multilevel Rubidium atom interacting with pump and probe beams, we have calculated the theoretical light shift as a function of intensity. A comparison of these calculated values with the light shift data obtained for molasses reveals good agreement between experiment and theory. Further, our model elucidates the role of the Zeeman shifts arising from the magnetic field gradient in the observed probe transmission spectrum for the MOT.