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

American Journal of Physics

Resonant Faraday rotation as a probe of atomic dispersion

D. A. Van Baak

Published Jun 1, 1996• 47 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The Faraday effect (the rotation of the plane of polarization of light as it propagates through a sample parallel to a static magnetic field) is readily detected in room-temperature rubidium vapor by a diode-laser experiment near the D2 resonance line at 780 nm, and the theoretical treatment of this effect provides an unusually clear insight into the relation between absorption and dispersion in the interaction of light with matter.

DOI
10.1119/1.18356

Related papers

Resonant magneto-optical rotation: new twists in an old plot

Dmitry Budker

Nonlinear in laser power, near-resonant light-atom interaction leads to a number of spectacular modifications of a well-known effect -polarization plane rotation in a magnetic field applied along the direction of light propagation.In particular, the rotation can be enhanced by up to nine orders of magnitude compared to the linear case.Faraday effect [ 1 ] is the rotation of the plane of linear light polarization by a medium in a magnetic field applied in the direction of light propagation.In 1898, Macaluso and Corbino eJ, studying absorption spectra of the alkali atoms in the presence of magnetic fields, discovered that the Faraday effect in the vicinity of resonance absorption lines also had a distinct resonant character.The essence of the Macaluso-Corbino effect can be illustrated by considering a simple case of a F= 1 ~ F'=O transition (Fig. 1 ).Linearly polarized light incident on the sample can be resolved into two counter-rotating circular components ( cr~.In the absence of a magnetic field, the M=±l sublevels are degenerate and the optical resonance

•Dec 1, 1997•0 citations

Nonlinear laser spectroscopy and magneto-optics

Dmitry Budker, Donald J. Orlando, Valeriy V. Yashchuk

An experiment on nonlinear laser spectroscopy and magneto-optics at the Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory at Berkeley is described. The experiment consists of three parts. In the first part, students learn to operate a diode laser system and characterize its performance using a Fabry–Perot spectrum analyzer. In the second part, Doppler-broadened laser-induced fluorescence and Doppler-free saturated absorption spectra of the rubidium D2 line (780 nm) are recorded and analyzed. Finally, in the third part of the experiment, which we describe in greater detail, the near-resonant magneto-optical rotation is investigated. Nonlinear light-atom interaction leads to spectacular manifestations of the resonant Faraday effect—polarization plane rotation in a magnetic field applied along the direction of light propagation radically different from the linear case. In particular, narrow (∼30 Hz) effective line widths are observed in this experiment corresponding to a rotation enhancement by some seven orders of magnitude compared to the linear Faraday rotation.

American Journal of Physics•Jul 1, 1999•64 citations

Interaction Of Light With Atoms In External Fields

Dmitry Budker, Derek F Kimball, David P. DeMille

Abstract When linearly polarized light propagates through a medium immersed in a magnetic field, the plane of light polarization at the output is rotated (Fig. 4.1); this effect was observed by Michael Faraday almost one hundred and fifty years ago (Faraday 1855). In 1898, the Italian physicists D. Macaluso and O. M. Corbino discovered that Faraday rotation was resonantly enhanced near atomic absorption lines (Macaluso and Corbino 1898).

•Jul 24, 2008•0 citations

Features of faraday rotation in cs atomic vapor in a cell thinner than the wavelength of light

Armen D. Sargsyan, Y. Pashayan-Leroy, Claude Leroy +2 more

Features of the effect of Faraday rotation (the rotation of the radiation polarization plane) in a magnetic field of the D 1 line in Cs atomic vapor in a nanocell with the thickness L varying in the range of 80–900 nm have been analyzed. The key parameter is the ratio L/λ, where λ = 895 nm is the wavelength of laser radiation resonant with the D 1 line. The comparison of the parameters for two selected thicknesses L = λ and λ/2 has revealed an unusual behavior of the Faraday rotation signal: the spectrum of the Faraday rotation signal at L = λ/2 = 448 nm is several times narrower than the spectrum of the signal at L = λ, whereas its amplitude is larger by a factor of about 3. These differences become more dramatic with an increase in the power of the laser: the amplitude of the Faraday rotation signal at L = λ/2 increases, whereas the amplitude of the signal at L = λ almost vanishes. Such dependences on L are absent in centimeter-length cells. They are inherent only in nanocells. In spite of a small thickness, L = 448 nm, the Faraday rotation signal is certainly detected at magnetic fields ≥0.4 G, which ensures its application. At thicknesses L < 150 nm, the Faraday rotation signal exhibits “redshift,” which is manifestation of the van der Waals effect. The developed theoretical model describes the experiment well.

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters•Oct 1, 2015•14 citations

Faraday rotation and ellipticity spectroscopy between excited states of Rb vapor: Theory and experiment

Chenxu Liu, Yalong Hai, Anhong Dang

The Faraday rotation and ellipticity spectra of rubidium $5{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4{D}_{5/2}$ transition in a magnetic field have been calculated and experimentally measured. By using the rotating quarter-wave plate method, the Stokes parameters of the $5{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4{D}_{5/2}$ near-resonant probe light are measured to obtain the Faraday rotation and the ellipticity. The variation of the rotation and the ellipticity spectra is analyzed in different magnetic fields, temperatures, and pump powers. The polarization rotation over 50 deg in 1529 nm with negligible elliptical distortion is obtained. Our study of the Faraday effect between excited states of atoms broadens the available wavelength of the Faraday effect in applications.

Physical Review A•May 10, 2023•5 citations

Transformation of vector modes by the Faraday effect in strong magnetic fields

Sphinx J. Svensson, Craig J. A. Millar, Danielle Pizzey +2 more

Large Faraday rotations can be generated by circular birefringence of atomic samples in an axial magnetic field in the vicinity of atomic resonance lines. More generally, magneto-optical effects in atomic samples include circular dichroism in addition to birefringence, resulting in a modification of the ellipticity as well as the polarization alignment. Usually such effects are investigated for homogeneous linear polarizations, but the mechanisms apply also to polarization structures such as vector vortices. We investigate the effect of optical activity of a rubidium vapor in the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime along the D2 line, for the example of azimuthally polarized input light. We show that for low atomic densities, circular birefringence dominates over dichroism, and azimuthal polarization is rotated toward radial polarization. The rotation angle increases with increasing optical densities. At high vapor temperatures, dichroism becomes more and more relevant, leading to intricate variations of both alignment and ellipticity. Our results shine new light on the interplay between different magneto-optic effects at strong magnetic fields. Their highly sensitive response to detuning may find applications in spectroscopy and quantum sensing.

arXiv:2607.15088•Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Sep 4, 2026•0 citations
The Faraday effect (the rotation of the plane of polarization of light as it propagates through a sample parallel to a static magnetic field) is readily detected in room-temperature rubidium vapor by a diode-laser experiment near the D2 resonance line at 780 nm, and the theoretical treatment of this effect provides an unusually clear insight into the relation between absorption and dispersion in the interaction of light with matter.
Nonlinear in laser power, near-resonant light-atom interaction leads to a number of spectacular modifications of a well-known effect -polarization plane rotation in a magnetic field applied along the direction of light propagation.In particular, the rotation can be enhanced by up to nine orders of magnitude compared to the linear case.Faraday effect [ 1 ] is the rotation of the plane of linear light polarization by a medium in a magnetic field applied in the direction of light propagation.In 1898, Macaluso and Corbino eJ, studying absorption spectra of the alkali atoms in the presence of magnetic fields, discovered that the Faraday effect in the vicinity of resonance absorption lines also had a distinct resonant character.The essence of the Macaluso-Corbino effect can be illustrated by considering a simple case of a F= 1 ~ F'=O transition (Fig. 1 ).Linearly polarized light incident on the sample can be resolved into two counter-rotating circular components ( cr~.In the absence of a magnetic field, the M=±l sublevels are degenerate and the optical resonance
An experiment on nonlinear laser spectroscopy and magneto-optics at the Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory at Berkeley is described. The experiment consists of three parts. In the first part, students learn to operate a diode laser system and characterize its performance using a Fabry–Perot spectrum analyzer. In the second part, Doppler-broadened laser-induced fluorescence and Doppler-free saturated absorption spectra of the rubidium D2 line (780 nm) are recorded and analyzed. Finally, in the third part of the experiment, which we describe in greater detail, the near-resonant magneto-optical rotation is investigated. Nonlinear light-atom interaction leads to spectacular manifestations of the resonant Faraday effect—polarization plane rotation in a magnetic field applied along the direction of light propagation radically different from the linear case. In particular, narrow (∼30 Hz) effective line widths are observed in this experiment corresponding to a rotation enhancement by some seven orders of magnitude compared to the linear Faraday rotation.
Features of the effect of Faraday rotation (the rotation of the radiation polarization plane) in a magnetic field of the D 1 line in Cs atomic vapor in a nanocell with the thickness L varying in the range of 80–900 nm have been analyzed. The key parameter is the ratio L/λ, where λ = 895 nm is the wavelength of laser radiation resonant with the D 1 line. The comparison of the parameters for two selected thicknesses L = λ and λ/2 has revealed an unusual behavior of the Faraday rotation signal: the spectrum of the Faraday rotation signal at L = λ/2 = 448 nm is several times narrower than the spectrum of the signal at L = λ, whereas its amplitude is larger by a factor of about 3. These differences become more dramatic with an increase in the power of the laser: the amplitude of the Faraday rotation signal at L = λ/2 increases, whereas the amplitude of the signal at L = λ almost vanishes. Such dependences on L are absent in centimeter-length cells. They are inherent only in nanocells. In spite of a small thickness, L = 448 nm, the Faraday rotation signal is certainly detected at magnetic fields ≥0.4 G, which ensures its application. At thicknesses L < 150 nm, the Faraday rotation signal exhibits “redshift,” which is manifestation of the van der Waals effect. The developed theoretical model describes the experiment well.
The Faraday rotation and ellipticity spectra of rubidium $5{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4{D}_{5/2}$ transition in a magnetic field have been calculated and experimentally measured. By using the rotating quarter-wave plate method, the Stokes parameters of the $5{P}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}4{D}_{5/2}$ near-resonant probe light are measured to obtain the Faraday rotation and the ellipticity. The variation of the rotation and the ellipticity spectra is analyzed in different magnetic fields, temperatures, and pump powers. The polarization rotation over 50 deg in 1529 nm with negligible elliptical distortion is obtained. Our study of the Faraday effect between excited states of atoms broadens the available wavelength of the Faraday effect in applications.
Large Faraday rotations can be generated by circular birefringence of atomic samples in an axial magnetic field in the vicinity of atomic resonance lines. More generally, magneto-optical effects in atomic samples include circular dichroism in addition to birefringence, resulting in a modification of the ellipticity as well as the polarization alignment. Usually such effects are investigated for homogeneous linear polarizations, but the mechanisms apply also to polarization structures such as vector vortices. We investigate the effect of optical activity of a rubidium vapor in the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime along the D2 line, for the example of azimuthally polarized input light. We show that for low atomic densities, circular birefringence dominates over dichroism, and azimuthal polarization is rotated toward radial polarization. The rotation angle increases with increasing optical densities. At high vapor temperatures, dichroism becomes more and more relevant, leading to intricate variations of both alignment and ellipticity. Our results shine new light on the interplay between different magneto-optic effects at strong magnetic fields. Their highly sensitive response to detuning may find applications in spectroscopy and quantum sensing.