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

Journal of Physics Conference Series

Ultra-narrow spectroscopic cells in atomic spectroscopy: reflection, transmission, fluorescence, and nonadiabatic transitions at the walls

Anatoly S. Pazgalev, David G. Sarkisyan, S. Cartaleva, Sergey G. Przhibel'skii, T. A. Vartanyan

Published Nov 24, 2014• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Ultra-narrow cells with the thicknesses in the range from several wavelengths to the small fractions of the wavelength brought a number of new opportunities for atomic spectroscopy. Depending on the cell thickness, spectral lines recorded in ultra-narrow cells are either Doppler-free or Doppler-broadened. With careful selection of the cell thickness hyperfine structure may be easily resolved without resorting on the multibeam nonlinear optical techniques. Moreover, frequent collisions with the walls leads to the important modifications of velocity selective optical pumping resonances. Finally, ultra-narrow cells provide with the unique opportunity to study collisions of the excited atoms with the solid surfaces. In this contribution several examples of the use of the ultra-narrow spectroscopic cells filled with the alkali atomic vapour is presented. First, we discuss general aspects of the transient polarisation that defines all peculiarities of an ultra-narrow cell as a spectroscopic tool. Second, we demonstrate the resolution of the magnetic sublevels in the transition from Zeeman to Paschen-Back regime in the Cs hyperfine structure. Third, new aspects of velocity selective optical pumping resonances in reflection and transmission of resonant radiation by the 6 wavelengths thick cell filled with Cs are discussed. Forth, the experimental evidences of the nonadiabatic transitions between excited states of Rb atoms in the course of collisions with the sapphire surface are presented.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/548/1/012063

Related papers

PECULIARITIES OF RESONANT ABSORPTION AND FLUORESCENCE IN EXTREMELY THIN CELL FILLED WITH Rb AND BUFFER GAS.

G. Hakhumyan, David G. Sarkisyan, Armen D. Sargsyan +2 more

Recently unique extremely thin cells (ETC) containing atomic vapour of alkali metals with the column thickness L of an order and much less than optical light wavelength λ have been developed. It has been demonstrated that these ETC are a very promising tool for a fundamental study of atom-light, atom-atom, atom-surface and atom-external magnetic field interactions. Particularly, a dramatically different behaviour of resonant absorption, fluorescence and resonant magneto-optical processes compared to that obtained with the help of cm-long ordinary cells has been demonstrated. Possible applications based on ETC are described, such as magnetometers with nanometric spatial resolution and tunable atomic frequency references. For the study of buffer gas influence, a multi-region cell (MRC) has been developed. MRC consists of an ETC cell having a wedged thickness of the gap between the windows that allows one to form atomic vapour column thickness in the range of 0.1 ÷ 4 μm. The ETC is connected through a sapphire tube with a 1cm-long sapphire tube having sapphire windows. The 1cm-long cell has a sapphire side-arm containing Rb metal. MRC's are filled with 6 Torr and 20 Torr Neon gas, thus there is Rb vapour and buffer gas inside the MRC. The construction of the MRC allows one to compare absorption and fluorescence processes simultaneously in the case of the ETC use as well as in the case of 1cm-long ordinary cell use. The comparison of the resonant absorption and fluorescence in the extremely thin cell (ETC) filled with pure Rb with another one filled with Rb and Neon gas with the pressures of 6 Torr and 20 Torr is provided. The effect of the collapse and revival of Dicke-type narrowing is still observable for the thicknesses L = λ/2, and L = λ, with λ being the resonant laser wavelength 794 nm (D1 line of Rb), i.e. the spectra of the resonant absorption and fluorescence demonstrate strong sub-Doppler narrowing for the thickness L = λ/2 and broadening for the thickness L = λ. It is important to note that in an ordinary Rb cell with the thickness L in the range of 1mm - 10 cm filled with buffer gas, with the pressure higher than 1 Torr, in the well-known Saturation Absorption scheme, any sub-Doppler features are absent. For L = λ the so called velocity selective optical pumping/saturating resonance (VSOP) located at the atomic transition is still observable when Ne pressure is 6 Torr, while the linewidth is increased by 4 times in comparison with that obtained in a pure Rb ETC. It is also demonstrated that the use of the fluorescence spectra at L = λ/2 allows one to use ETC for the buffer gas pressure measurements. Comparison with the theory will be presented.

•Jul 5, 2010•0 citations

Magneto-optical processes in atomic vapor cells with radiation wavelength-scale thickness

A. Papoyan, David G. Sarkisyan

Sub-Doppler nature of atomic spectra in alkali metal vapor cells of nanometric thickness L (nanocells) allows one to study peculiarities of magneto-optical processes, which occur in a magnetic field for the case when L is of the order of λ (λ is a laser resonant wavelength). We particularly address the issues of practical implementation of the studied processes. The following results are presented. i) A "λ-Zeeman technique" exploiting velocity-selective optical pumping resonances in L = λ Rb cell placed in a B-field, which allows direct determination frequency shifts and modification of transition probabilities of individual Zeeman transitions in magnetic field and is applicable for development of wide-range (~ 0.1 - 1000 mT) optical magnetometers and tunable frequency reference. ii) A technique for locking the laser radiation frequency, B-field-tunable in ~ 500 MHz range, which is based on selective reflection of a circularly-polarized laser beam from Rb vapor cell with thickness L ≈ λ/2.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Dec 22, 2008•1 citation

Detection of slow atoms in laser spectroscopy of a thin vapor film

S. Briaudeau, Daniel Bloch, M. Ducloy

We report on high-resolution single-light-beam transmission spectroscopy through an ultra thin vapor cell (thickness 10–100 μm). In addition to the expected Doppler-broadened absorption, a novel sub-Doppler structure is observed under normal incidence irradiation. This structure originates from the optical response of atoms with very small velocity components perpendicular to the cell walls, and is connected with the transient atom excitation regime during the wall-to-wall time of flight. In experiments performed in Cs vapor, the slow mechanism of optical pumping leads, for weak light intensities (10–100 μW/cm 2 ) and a 10 μm cell, to a velocity selection equivalent to an effective 1D temperature in the sub-mK range.

Europhysics Letters (EPL)•Aug 10, 1996•90 citations

Dependence of Resonant Absorption Linewidth on Atomic Vapour Column Thickness for D1 Line of Cs Atoms Confined in Nano-Cell

Armen D. Sargsyan, David G. Sarkisyan, Y. Pashayan-Leroy +3 more

A new nano-cell with smoothly varying longitudinal thickness of the atomic vapour layer L in the range of 350 - 5100 nm allowing to study the resonant absorption of D1 and D2 lines of Cs atoms for thicknesses changing from L = Lambda/2 to L = 6 Lambda with the step of Lambda/2 (Lambda = 852 nm or 894 nm are the resonant laser wavelengths) and for different intensities is developed. It is revealed that for low laser intensities there is narrowing of the resonant absorption spectrum for the thicknesses L = (2n + 1)Lambda/2 (where n is an integer) up to L = 7Lambda /2 and broadening of the spectrum for L = n Lambda. For relatively high laser intensity (>1 mW/cm2), velocity selective optical pumping/saturated resonances of a reduced absorption (with the line-width close to the natural one), and centred on the hyperfine transitions occur when L = n Lambda. The possible application of these resonance peaks is given. The developed theoretical model describes well the experiment.

arXiv:0707.0379•Jul 3, 2007•0 citations

Fluorescence of rubidium in a submicrometer vapor cell: spectral resolution of atomic transitions between Zeeman sublevels in a moderate magnetic field

David G. Sarkisyan, A. Papoyan, T. Varzhapetyan +2 more

It is experimentally demonstrated that use of an extremely thin cell (ETC) with the thickness of a Rb atomic vapor column of ∼400 nm allows one to resolve a large number of individual transitions between Zeeman sublevels of the D1 line of 87Rb and 85Rb in the sub-Doppler fluorescence excitation spectra in an external magnetic field of ∼200 G. It is revealed that due to the peculiarities of the Zeeman effect for different hyperfine levels of Rb, all allowed transitions between magnetic sublevels can be clearly resolved for 87RbF_g = 1 --> F_e = 1, 2 and F_g = 2 --> F_e = 1, 2 fluorescence excitation. Also, relatively good spectral resolution can be achieved for 85RbF_g = 2 --> F_e = 2, 3 fluorescence excitation. Some partial resolution of transitions between magnetic sublevels is achieved for 85RbF_g = 3 --> F_e = 2, 3 fluorescence excitation. The spectral resolution of individual transitions allows one to easily observe both linear and nonlinear Zeeman effects in the fluorescence excitation spectra obtained with the help of the ETC. In the fluorescence spectra of a cell of usual length there is no evidence of a spectral resolution of individual transitions at B ∼ 200 G. A simple magnetometer based on ETC with Rb with a submicrometer spatial resolution is described.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Jan 1, 2005•25 citations

Excited atoms-wall collisions and their manifestations in the fluorescence excitation line shapes

T A Vartanayn, S. Cartaleva

Since the invention of the extremely thin cell which sustains prolonged action of hot and dense alkali vapours, a number of spectroscopic problems have been solved with its aid. As the width of the cell is comparable to, or smaller than, the wavelength of the actual atomic transition, The Doppler width of the fluorescence light is reduced due to the cage effect. Stimulated by recent measurements of the fluorescent excitation line shapes in the extremely thin cell we studied the dependence of these line shapes on the cell thickness.

Journal of Physics Conference Series•Jul 1, 2019•0 citations
Ultra-narrow cells with the thicknesses in the range from several wavelengths to the small fractions of the wavelength brought a number of new opportunities for atomic spectroscopy. Depending on the cell thickness, spectral lines recorded in ultra-narrow cells are either Doppler-free or Doppler-broadened. With careful selection of the cell thickness hyperfine structure may be easily resolved without resorting on the multibeam nonlinear optical techniques. Moreover, frequent collisions with the walls leads to the important modifications of velocity selective optical pumping resonances. Finally, ultra-narrow cells provide with the unique opportunity to study collisions of the excited atoms with the solid surfaces. In this contribution several examples of the use of the ultra-narrow spectroscopic cells filled with the alkali atomic vapour is presented. First, we discuss general aspects of the transient polarisation that defines all peculiarities of an ultra-narrow cell as a spectroscopic tool. Second, we demonstrate the resolution of the magnetic sublevels in the transition from Zeeman to Paschen-Back regime in the Cs hyperfine structure. Third, new aspects of velocity selective optical pumping resonances in reflection and transmission of resonant radiation by the 6 wavelengths thick cell filled with Cs are discussed. Forth, the experimental evidences of the nonadiabatic transitions between excited states of Rb atoms in the course of collisions with the sapphire surface are presented.
Recently unique extremely thin cells (ETC) containing atomic vapour of alkali metals with the column thickness L of an order and much less than optical light wavelength λ have been developed. It has been demonstrated that these ETC are a very promising tool for a fundamental study of atom-light, atom-atom, atom-surface and atom-external magnetic field interactions. Particularly, a dramatically different behaviour of resonant absorption, fluorescence and resonant magneto-optical processes compared to that obtained with the help of cm-long ordinary cells has been demonstrated. Possible applications based on ETC are described, such as magnetometers with nanometric spatial resolution and tunable atomic frequency references. For the study of buffer gas influence, a multi-region cell (MRC) has been developed. MRC consists of an ETC cell having a wedged thickness of the gap between the windows that allows one to form atomic vapour column thickness in the range of 0.1 ÷ 4 μm. The ETC is connected through a sapphire tube with a 1cm-long sapphire tube having sapphire windows. The 1cm-long cell has a sapphire side-arm containing Rb metal. MRC's are filled with 6 Torr and 20 Torr Neon gas, thus there is Rb vapour and buffer gas inside the MRC. The construction of the MRC allows one to compare absorption and fluorescence processes simultaneously in the case of the ETC use as well as in the case of 1cm-long ordinary cell use. The comparison of the resonant absorption and fluorescence in the extremely thin cell (ETC) filled with pure Rb with another one filled with Rb and Neon gas with the pressures of 6 Torr and 20 Torr is provided. The effect of the collapse and revival of Dicke-type narrowing is still observable for the thicknesses L = λ/2, and L = λ, with λ being the resonant laser wavelength 794 nm (D1 line of Rb), i.e. the spectra of the resonant absorption and fluorescence demonstrate strong sub-Doppler narrowing for the thickness L = λ/2 and broadening for the thickness L = λ. It is important to note that in an ordinary Rb cell with the thickness L in the range of 1mm - 10 cm filled with buffer gas, with the pressure higher than 1 Torr, in the well-known Saturation Absorption scheme, any sub-Doppler features are absent. For L = λ the so called velocity selective optical pumping/saturating resonance (VSOP) located at the atomic transition is still observable when Ne pressure is 6 Torr, while the linewidth is increased by 4 times in comparison with that obtained in a pure Rb ETC. It is also demonstrated that the use of the fluorescence spectra at L = λ/2 allows one to use ETC for the buffer gas pressure measurements. Comparison with the theory will be presented.
Sub-Doppler nature of atomic spectra in alkali metal vapor cells of nanometric thickness L (nanocells) allows one to study peculiarities of magneto-optical processes, which occur in a magnetic field for the case when L is of the order of λ (λ is a laser resonant wavelength). We particularly address the issues of practical implementation of the studied processes. The following results are presented. i) A "λ-Zeeman technique" exploiting velocity-selective optical pumping resonances in L = λ Rb cell placed in a B-field, which allows direct determination frequency shifts and modification of transition probabilities of individual Zeeman transitions in magnetic field and is applicable for development of wide-range (~ 0.1 - 1000 mT) optical magnetometers and tunable frequency reference. ii) A technique for locking the laser radiation frequency, B-field-tunable in ~ 500 MHz range, which is based on selective reflection of a circularly-polarized laser beam from Rb vapor cell with thickness L ≈ λ/2.
We report on high-resolution single-light-beam transmission spectroscopy through an ultra thin vapor cell (thickness 10–100 μm). In addition to the expected Doppler-broadened absorption, a novel sub-Doppler structure is observed under normal incidence irradiation. This structure originates from the optical response of atoms with very small velocity components perpendicular to the cell walls, and is connected with the transient atom excitation regime during the wall-to-wall time of flight. In experiments performed in Cs vapor, the slow mechanism of optical pumping leads, for weak light intensities (10–100 μW/cm 2 ) and a 10 μm cell, to a velocity selection equivalent to an effective 1D temperature in the sub-mK range.
A new nano-cell with smoothly varying longitudinal thickness of the atomic vapour layer L in the range of 350 - 5100 nm allowing to study the resonant absorption of D1 and D2 lines of Cs atoms for thicknesses changing from L = Lambda/2 to L = 6 Lambda with the step of Lambda/2 (Lambda = 852 nm or 894 nm are the resonant laser wavelengths) and for different intensities is developed. It is revealed that for low laser intensities there is narrowing of the resonant absorption spectrum for the thicknesses L = (2n + 1)Lambda/2 (where n is an integer) up to L = 7Lambda /2 and broadening of the spectrum for L = n Lambda. For relatively high laser intensity (>1 mW/cm2), velocity selective optical pumping/saturated resonances of a reduced absorption (with the line-width close to the natural one), and centred on the hyperfine transitions occur when L = n Lambda. The possible application of these resonance peaks is given. The developed theoretical model describes well the experiment.
It is experimentally demonstrated that use of an extremely thin cell (ETC) with the thickness of a Rb atomic vapor column of ∼400 nm allows one to resolve a large number of individual transitions between Zeeman sublevels of the D1 line of 87Rb and 85Rb in the sub-Doppler fluorescence excitation spectra in an external magnetic field of ∼200 G. It is revealed that due to the peculiarities of the Zeeman effect for different hyperfine levels of Rb, all allowed transitions between magnetic sublevels can be clearly resolved for 87RbF_g = 1 --> F_e = 1, 2 and F_g = 2 --> F_e = 1, 2 fluorescence excitation. Also, relatively good spectral resolution can be achieved for 85RbF_g = 2 --> F_e = 2, 3 fluorescence excitation. Some partial resolution of transitions between magnetic sublevels is achieved for 85RbF_g = 3 --> F_e = 2, 3 fluorescence excitation. The spectral resolution of individual transitions allows one to easily observe both linear and nonlinear Zeeman effects in the fluorescence excitation spectra obtained with the help of the ETC. In the fluorescence spectra of a cell of usual length there is no evidence of a spectral resolution of individual transitions at B ∼ 200 G. A simple magnetometer based on ETC with Rb with a submicrometer spatial resolution is described.
Since the invention of the extremely thin cell which sustains prolonged action of hot and dense alkali vapours, a number of spectroscopic problems have been solved with its aid. As the width of the cell is comparable to, or smaller than, the wavelength of the actual atomic transition, The Doppler width of the fluorescence light is reduced due to the cage effect. Stimulated by recent measurements of the fluorescent excitation line shapes in the extremely thin cell we studied the dependence of these line shapes on the cell thickness.