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ATOM-WALL COLLISIONS INFLUENCE ON DARK-LINE ATOMIC RESONANCES IN SUBMICRON THIN VAPOUR CELLS

Armen D. Sargsyan, G. Hakhumyan, R. Mirzoyan, Claude Leroy, Y. Pashayan-Leroy, David G. Sarkisyan

Published Jul 4, 2010• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Recently it was demonstrated that miniaturization of alkali cells, i.e. the use of an extremely thin cell (ETC) for the applications using the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect, despite to intuitive expectation, does not cause a strong broadening of the dark-line (DL) linewidth. Here we present the conditions when a strong broadening of DL linewidth (more than by 10 times) can be easily observed due to atom-wall collisions influence and this could be a convenient and robust tool for atomwall (i.e. ETC's window material/temperature) collisions study. We present experimental and theoretical results on EIT realized in a Λ- system of 85Rb, D2 line, 5S-5P-5S for a Rb vapour column with the thickness L ~ λ (λ = 780 nm) and varying in the range of (0.5 to 6) λ. Two cw diode-lasers (forming the coupling and probe beams) with the linewidths of 1 MHz are used. One of the striking results observed in ETC when the coupling is resonant with the atomic transition is that DL linewidth is weakly dependent on L and this allows us to detect DL at the smallest thickness reported up to now L = 0.5 λ = 390 nm. The explanation is that the contribution of atoms flying parallel to ETC windows is enhanced thanks to their longer interaction time with the laser field. Meanwhile, direct influence of atomwall collisions on DL linewidth is well seen when there is a large detuning Δ of the coupling from the resonant transition. DL linewidth achieves ~100 MHz for the case of Δ ~100 MHz and L ~ λ, meanwhile for the coupling to be resonant, it is < 9 MHz. We present EIT (DL) spectra for different L for the coupling detuned by Δ = 60 MHz from transition Fg =2 →3′ and the probe scanned across Fg=3 → 2′,3′,4′ transitions. In this case only atoms flying in the same direction with the laser radiation participate in the formation of DL and frequent collisions with the walls cause a strong DL broadening.

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We report an experimental investigation of the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using bichromatic laser radiation and an extremely thin cell filled with pure Rb with smoothly controllable thickness $L$ of the atomic vapor layer in the range $\ensuremath{\sim}780--1600\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, for which $L$ is comparable to the laser wavelength $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ resonant with the ${D}_{2}$ line $(780\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm})$. It is revealed that the transmission spectrum of the probe laser contains two sub-Doppler peaks that have different linewidths. The narrow peak corresponds to EIT, whereas the broader one results from velocity-selective optical pumping (VSOP) and repumping processes. It is demonstrated that in the case of nonzero detuning of the coupling laser, the EIT resonance and VSOP are shifted with respect to each other on the frequency scale, which makes it possible to observe a competition between the two effects (this is not possible to realize in an ordinary cell). Also, the Dicke-type coherent narrowing effect depending on the ratio $L∕\ensuremath{\lambda}$ influences the absorption spectrum of the probe laser. Formation of an EIT resonance is substantially favored for the atoms with slow normal velocity, caused by their longer interaction time with the bichromatic laser field. As a result of the predominant contribution of these atoms, the observed linewidth of the EIT resonance is only $\ensuremath{\sim}9\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MHz}$, which is more than ten times narrower than the inverse window-to-window flight time. In an external magnetic field, three and five EIT resonances have been observed for the vapor thickness of $L=2\ensuremath{\lambda}$, on $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ and $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$, respectively.

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Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in a -system formed by Cs atoms line, enclosed in nanometric-thin cells, is studied both experimentally and theoretically for the first time. The atomic column thickness varies in the range of 50–1500 nm. It is demonstrated that when the coupling laser frequency is in exact resonance with the corresponding atomic transition, the parameters of the EIT resonance (also called dark resonance (DR)) depend weakly on , which allows us to detect DR at nm with the contrast of . The obtained DR parameters are the best as compared with those for Rb and lines and Cs line. The DR contrast and width are studied versus laser frequency detunings, coupling laser power, cell thickness, temperature, and applied external magnetic field. The well-resolved splitting of the DR resonance in a magnetic field for nm can be used for magnetometry with high spatial resolution. The theoretical model describes well the observed results.

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Recently it was demonstrated that miniaturization of alkali cells, i.e. the use of an extremely thin cell (ETC) for the applications using the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect, despite to intuitive expectation, does not cause a strong broadening of the dark-line (DL) linewidth. Here we present the conditions when a strong broadening of DL linewidth (more than by 10 times) can be easily observed due to atom-wall collisions influence and this could be a convenient and robust tool for atomwall (i.e. ETC's window material/temperature) collisions study. We present experimental and theoretical results on EIT realized in a Λ- system of 85Rb, D2 line, 5S-5P-5S for a Rb vapour column with the thickness L ~ λ (λ = 780 nm) and varying in the range of (0.5 to 6) λ. Two cw diode-lasers (forming the coupling and probe beams) with the linewidths of 1 MHz are used. One of the striking results observed in ETC when the coupling is resonant with the atomic transition is that DL linewidth is weakly dependent on L and this allows us to detect DL at the smallest thickness reported up to now L = 0.5 λ = 390 nm. The explanation is that the contribution of atoms flying parallel to ETC windows is enhanced thanks to their longer interaction time with the laser field. Meanwhile, direct influence of atomwall collisions on DL linewidth is well seen when there is a large detuning Δ of the coupling from the resonant transition. DL linewidth achieves ~100 MHz for the case of Δ ~100 MHz and L ~ λ, meanwhile for the coupling to be resonant, it is < 9 MHz. We present EIT (DL) spectra for different L for the coupling detuned by Δ = 60 MHz from transition Fg =2 →3′ and the probe scanned across Fg=3 → 2′,3′,4′ transitions. In this case only atoms flying in the same direction with the laser radiation participate in the formation of DL and frequent collisions with the walls cause a strong DL broadening.
We report an experimental investigation of the effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) using bichromatic laser radiation and an extremely thin cell filled with pure Rb with smoothly controllable thickness LLL of the atomic vapor layer in the range $\ensuremath{\sim}780--1600\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, for which LLL is comparable to the laser wavelength $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ resonant with the D2{D}_{2}D2​ line (780nm)(780\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm})(780nm). It is revealed that the transmission spectrum of the probe laser contains two sub-Doppler peaks that have different linewidths. The narrow peak corresponds to EIT, whereas the broader one results from velocity-selective optical pumping (VSOP) and repumping processes. It is demonstrated that in the case of nonzero detuning of the coupling laser, the EIT resonance and VSOP are shifted with respect to each other on the frequency scale, which makes it possible to observe a competition between the two effects (this is not possible to realize in an ordinary cell). Also, the Dicke-type coherent narrowing effect depending on the ratio $L∕\ensuremath{\lambda}$ influences the absorption spectrum of the probe laser. Formation of an EIT resonance is substantially favored for the atoms with slow normal velocity, caused by their longer interaction time with the bichromatic laser field. As a result of the predominant contribution of these atoms, the observed linewidth of the EIT resonance is only $\ensuremath{\sim}9\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MHz}$, which is more than ten times narrower than the inverse window-to-window flight time. In an external magnetic field, three and five EIT resonances have been observed for the vapor thickness of $L=2\ensuremath{\lambda}$, on 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb and 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb, respectively.
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect has been studied using an extremely thin cell (ETC) with the thickness of an Rb vapor column of the order of light wavelength λ(780 nm) and varying in the range of 0.5λ-2.5λ. Λ-systems on the D2 line of 85Rb and 87Rb have been studied experimentally. Along with EIT resonance, we study the peculiarities of velocity-selective optical pumping/saturation (VSOP) resonances, which accompany the EIT resonance and, as a rule, are spectrally broader. It is demonstrated that size-conditioned strongly anisotropic contribution of atoms with different velocities in an ETC causes several dramatic differences of the EIT and VSOP resonances formation in the ETC as compared with an ordinary 1-10 cm long cell. Particularly, in the case of the ETC, the EIT linewidth and contrast dramatically depend on the coupling laser detuning from the exact atomic transition. A theoretical model taking into account the peculiarities of transmission spectra when L=nλ and L=(2n+1)λ/2 (n is an integer) has been developed. The experimental transmission spectra are well described by the theoretical model developed. The possibility of EIT resonance formation when atomic column thickness is of the order of L=0.5λ and less is theoretically predicted.
The effect of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a Λ-system formed by rubidium atoms contained in thin (10–60 μm) and extremely thin (0.3–5 μm) cells was studied experimentally. It was found that parameters of the EIT resonance degrade slowly in the case where the frequency of the coupling laser is in resonance with the D 2 transition of rubidium, which enabled the registration of the EIT resonance in a record thin cell with a thickness of L = 390 nm. The specific features of EIT in extremely thin cells reveal themselves when the coupling laser has a frequency detuning Δ from the atomic transition. In this case, the width of the EIT resonance rapidly increases upon an increase in Δ at fixed L (an opposite effect takes place in centimeter-scale cells). It is shown that the width of the EIT resonance is inversely proportional to L in the case of fixed large detuning Δ. The nearly tenfold broadening of the EIT resonance for large values of detuning Δ is caused by the influence of atomic collisions with cell windows on dephasing rate of coherence. The expressions that allow the estimation of the EIT-resonance width for various values of detuning Δ and small values of thickness L are found.
Recently developed micrometric thin cells (MTC) containing atomic vapor of micrometric column thickness allow one to study peculiarities of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) phenomenon, along with the accompanying velocity selective optical pumping/saturation (VSOP) resonances. MTC are filled with pure Rb and neither buffer gas nor paraffin-coated walls were used. the Lambda-system on D2 lines of 85RB have been studied with the use of two separate diode lasers. There are several dramatic distinctions in formation of EIT and VSOP resonances in MTC as compared with conventional cm-size cells. Particularly, in the case of MTC the narrowest EIT resonance is formed when the couple laser is resonant with the corresponding atomic transition, meanwhile the increase of the couple detuning leads to the rapid linewidth broadening. The theoretical model used well explains the experiment.
Recently developed thin cells containing atomic vapor of micrometric column thickness L allow one to study peculiarities of Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) phenomenon, along with the accompanying velocity selective optical pumping/saturation (VSOP) resonances for the case when < 100 &mgr;m. The micrometric thin cells (MTC) are filled with pure Rb and neither buffer gas nor paraffin-coated walls were used. The Λ-systems on D2 line of 85Rb have been studied experimentally with the use of bi-chromatic radiation of two separate diode lasers (λ≈780 nm, γL&≈ 5MHz). It is demonstrated that when L~60 &mgr;m it is still possible to form the EIT resonance with the sub-natural linewidth ~ 5 MHz. The EIT resonance linewidth increases up to 10 MHz , when column thickness L is reduced down to ~ 2 &mgr;m. Six VSOP resonances are detected in the fluorescence and absorption spectra when the thickness L ~ 10 &mgr;m. Dependence of the EIT resonance linewidth as a function of the atomic vapor column thickness L is presented.
Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in a -system formed by Cs atoms line, enclosed in nanometric-thin cells, is studied both experimentally and theoretically for the first time. The atomic column thickness varies in the range of 50–1500 nm. It is demonstrated that when the coupling laser frequency is in exact resonance with the corresponding atomic transition, the parameters of the EIT resonance (also called dark resonance (DR)) depend weakly on , which allows us to detect DR at nm with the contrast of . The obtained DR parameters are the best as compared with those for Rb and lines and Cs line. The DR contrast and width are studied versus laser frequency detunings, coupling laser power, cell thickness, temperature, and applied external magnetic field. The well-resolved splitting of the DR resonance in a magnetic field for nm can be used for magnetometry with high spatial resolution. The theoretical model describes well the observed results.