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Nonlinear Optics

Saturation absorption spectroscopy in an integrated rubidium vapor cell

Holger Schmidt, Wenge Yang, Bin Wu, Donald B. Conkey, John F. Hulbert, Aaron R. Hawkins

Published Jan 1, 2007• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate an integrated rubidium vapor cell using hollow-core ARROW waveguides on a silicon chip. Optical mode areas of 8.8µm2 are promising for nonlinear optical applications. Saturation spectroscopy on the Rb D2 line is demonstrated.
DOI
10.1364/nlo.2007.wb4

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We review the current status of integrating optical quantum interference effects such as electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), slow light, and highly efficient nonlinear processes on a semiconductor chip. A necessary prerequisite for combining effects such as slow light and related phenomena with the convenience of integrated optics is the development of integrated alkali vapor cells. Here, we describe the development of integrated rubidium cells based on hollow-core antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs). Hollow-core waveguides were fabricated on a silicon platform using conventional microfabrication and filled with rubidium vapor using different methods. Rubidium absorption through the waveguides was successfully observed which opens the way to integrated atomic and molecular on a chip. The realization of quantum coherence effects requires additional surface treatment of the waveguide walls, and the effects of the surface coating on the waveguide properties are presented.
The integration of hollow anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs) with vapor cells on silicon chips provides a compact platform for a number of optical applications, including the study of quantum coherence effects such as electromagnetically induced transparency and single-photon nonlinearities, as well as frequency stabilization standards. The use of hollow waveguides allows for light propagation in low index (vapor) media with compact mode areas. ARROWs make particularly attractive waveguides for this purpose because they can be interfaced with solid core waveguides, microfabricated on a planar substrate, and are effectively single mode. ARROW fabrication utilizes an acidremoved sacrificial core surrounded by alternating plasma deposited dielectric layers, which act as Fabry-Perot reflectors. A demonstration platform consisting of solid and hollow core waveguides integrated with rubidium vapor cells has been constructed. Rubidium was used because it is of particular interest for studying quantum coherence effects. Liquefied rubidium was transferred from a bulk supply into an on-chip vapor cell in an anaerobic atmosphere glovebox. Optical absorption measurements confirmed the presence of rubidium vapor within the hollow waveguide platform. Coherence dephasing in the small dimensions of the ARROW (quantum coherence effect) can be addressed by adding a buffer gas and passivation coatings to the ARROW walls.
Atomic vapors of alkali metals are widely used to slow and stop light in tabletop experiments. In order to take advantage of the underlying quantum interference effects in future commercial devices, highly reactive alkali atoms must be incorporated into small volumes with integrated optical access. With integration in mind, we describe the development of a hollow-core waveguide technology based on the combination of vapor-filled hollow waveguides and conventional solid-core waveguides on a silicon chip. We discuss the underlying principles of the waveguide design, the development of different approaches to building on-chip vapor cells, the demonstration of linear and nonlinear rubidium spectroscopy on a chip, and the prospects for quantum interference effects such as slow light and giant Kerr nonlinearities using this approach. Ultrasmall active vapor volumes on the order of 100 picoliters with simultaneously high optical density in excess of two illustrate the potential of planar hollow-core waveguides for linear and nonlinear optical spectroscopy of atoms confined on a chip.
The integration of nanophotonic optical phased arrays (OPA) with alkali vapor cells has the potential to enhance the performance of chip-scale atomic systems by enabling novel methods for beam shaping and active alignment in atomic spectroscopy. In this work, we present the first demonstration of an OPA used for precision saturated absorption spectroscopy with a rubidium vapor cell integrated directly on the chip. The OPA, consisting of 64 emitters, expands a sub-micron waveguide mode into a >100 µm diameter free-space beam, optimized for the D2 absorption line of rubidium. We resolved the sub-Doppler hyperfine splittings in both 85Rb and 87Rb isotopes, achieving Lorentzian linewidths ranging from 25 to 40 MHz suitable for stabilizing the cooling lasers in rubidium cold atom systems.