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Physical Review A

Atomic barium and cesium alignment-to-orientation conversion in external electric and magnetic fields

Robert C. Hilborn, L. R. Hunter, Kent S. Johnson, S. K. Peck, Alison M. Spencer, John Watson

Published Sep 1, 1994• 24 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present an alternative method for changing atomic alignment to orientation through interactions with orthogonal static electric and magnetic fields. Experimental results demonstrating this effect in the 5d6p $^{1}$P state of atomic barium and the F=4 hyperfine level of the ground state of atomic cesium are presented. The theory of this effect for a j=0 to j=1 electric dipole transition is discussed in detail. The tensor polarizability of the 5d6p $^{1}$P state of Ba is determined to be 1.31(15) MHz/(kV/cm${)}^{2}$, in good agreement with the results of van Leeuwen and Hogervorst [Z. Phys. A 310, 37 (1983)].

DOI
10.1103/physreva.50.2467

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We present an alternative method for changing atomic alignment to orientation through interactions with orthogonal static electric and magnetic fields. Experimental results demonstrating this effect in the 5d6p 1^{1}1P state of atomic barium and the F=4 hyperfine level of the ground state of atomic cesium are presented. The theory of this effect for a j=0 to j=1 electric dipole transition is discussed in detail. The tensor polarizability of the 5d6p 1^{1}1P state of Ba is determined to be 1.31(15) MHz/(kV/cm)2{)}^{2})2, in good agreement with the results of van Leeuwen and Hogervorst [Z. Phys. A 310, 37 (1983)].
We present experimental and theoretical studies of coherent excitation of magnetic sublevels in nD states of cesium that cross in an external electric field. Coherent excitation of mFmagnetic sublevels of hyperfine F levels with DeltamF= plusmn2 leads to resonances in the linearly polarized laser induced fluorescence (LIF), while coherent excitation of magnetic sublevels with DeltamF= plusmn1 leads to alignment to orientation conversion (AOC). From the resonance signals we were able to measure atomic constants, such as the hyperfine constant A and the tensor polarizability alpha2(Auzinsh et al., 2006). AOC involves the deformation of the spatial distribution of an atom's angular momentum and is of interest as a background in certain types of experiments that search for a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) of the electron.
We have observed alignment-to-orientation conversion in the (5d6p)(5d6p)(5d6p) 1P{}^{1}P1P state of atomic barium due to the combined effects of a static Zeeman shift and a dynamic Stark shift associated with the electric field of a pulsed laser beam. The measurements yield a value for the frequency-dependent tensor polarizability of the state in reasonable agreement with a simple perturbation theory calculation. With a tunable laser producing the dynamic Stark shift, we can both enhance the magnitude of the effect by tuning close to a resonance and reverse the sign of the orientation by tuning above or below the resonance. This method of producing an oriented atomic state is quite general, and with easily available field strengths can produce large orientations.
We discuss experimental and theoretical studies of coherent excitation of magnetic sublevels in nD states of cesium that cross in an external electric field. Crossings of mF magnetic sublevels of hyperfine F levels with &Dgr;mF = ±2 lead to resonances in the linearly polarized laser induced fluorescence, while crossings with &Dgr;mF = ±1 lead to resonances in the circularly polarized laser induced fluorescence. These resonances can be exploited to observe alignment to orientation conversion. From the level crossing signals it is possible to measure atomic properties, such as the tensor polarizability &agr;2 and the hyperfine constant A. Alignment to orientation conversion involves the deformation of the spatial distribution of an atom's angular momentum.
We have observed the direct single-photon electric dipole excitation of the 7 2S1/2 state of cesium, by exciting the 6 2S1/2 ground state in an external d. c. electric field of 10 to 1 000 V/cm with a single-mode, c. w., tunable dye laser. The resonance was detected by monitoring the decay fluorescence from the excited state. We verified the selection rules obeyed by the hyperfine transitions which depend on the relative orientation of the linear polarization of the beam with respect to the field. When they are orthogonal, the line pattern reflects the existence of a spin-dependent part of the polarizability induced by spin-orbit effects, the size of which was measured with respect to that of the scalar part. Results in very weak fields show that the oscillator strength of the 6S-7S transition is smaller than 2 x 10-13.
We present a detailed theoretical model and experimentally measured signals of alignment to orientation conversion (AOC) in the 7D3/2 and 9D3/2 states of cesium atoms in the presence of an external dc electric field [1]. Alignment produced by linearly polarized light can be converted into orientation by the quadratic Stark effect in an electric field if the angle between the electric field and the polarization vector of the exciting radiation is neither 0 or 90 degrees and if there are magnetic sublevels with Δm = ±1 that cross as the electric field is scanned. The appearance of orientation is verified by the appearance of a net circular polarization in the laser induced fluorescence. The theoretical model is based on the optical Bloch equation and extends models previously developed to solve the rate equations for Zeeman coherences in single-step [2] and double step laser excitation [3] of atoms. The agreement between the simulated and measured signals is excellent.
We report the experimental observation of alignment to orientation conversion in the 7D3/2 and 9D3/2 states of Cs in the presence of an external dc electric field and without the influence of magnetic fields or atomic collisions. Initial alignment of angular momentum states was created by two-step excitation with linearly polarized laser radiation. The appearance of transverse orientation of angular momentum was confirmed by the observation of circularly polarized light. We present experimentally measured signals and compare them with the results of a detailed theoretical model based on the optical Bloch equations. The effect is odd under time reversal and should be taken into account in ever more sensitive searches for an electron electric dipole moment.