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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Optical characterization of antirelaxation coatings

S. Tsvetkov, S. Gateva, S. Cartaleva, E. Mariotti, K. A. Nasyrov

Published Mar 1, 2018• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Antirelaxation coatings (ARC) are used in optical cells containing alkali metal vapor to reduce the depolarization of alkali atoms after collisions with the cell walls. The long-lived ground state polarization is a basis for development of atomic clocks, magnetometers, quantum memory, slow light experiments, precision measurements of fundamental symmetries etc. In this work, a simple method for measuring the number of collisions of the alkali atoms with the cell walls without atomic spin randomization (Nasyrov et al., Proc. SPIE (2015)) was applied to characterize the AR properties of two PDMS coatings prepared from different solutions in ether (PDMS 2% and PDMS 5%). We observed influence of the light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) on the AR properties of coatings.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/992/1/012039

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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Jan 8, 2015•0 citations
Antirelaxation coatings (ARC) are used in optical cells containing alkali metal vapor to reduce the depolarization of alkali atoms after collisions with the cell walls. The long-lived ground state polarization is a basis for development of atomic clocks, magnetometers, quantum memory, slow light experiments, precision measurements of fundamental symmetries etc. In this work, a simple method for measuring the number of collisions of the alkali atoms with the cell walls without atomic spin randomization (Nasyrov et al., Proc. SPIE (2015)) was applied to characterize the AR properties of two PDMS coatings prepared from different solutions in ether (PDMS 2% and PDMS 5%). We observed influence of the light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) on the AR properties of coatings.
Antirelaxation coatings (ARC) are used in optical cells containing alkali metal vapor to reduce the depolarization of alkali atoms after collisions with the cell walls. The long-lived ground state polarization is a basis for development of atomic clocks, magnetometers, quantum memory, slow light experiments, precision measurements of fundamental symmetries etc. Another application of ARC is with Light-Induced Atomic Desorption (LIAD) for implementation optical dispensers for loading atomic devices as atomic magnetometers, atomic clocks, magneto-optical traps and their miniaturization. In this work, the Rb atomic density and the spin randomization (the number of collisions without spin depolarization) are investigated in PDMS coated vacuum cell when the density is controlled by LIAD, and compared with the results when the density is controlled by temperature. A simple method for measurement of the number of collisions without spin-randomization is used, which comprises recording of the time dependence of the fluorescence intensity of alkali atoms during exposure of the cell to resonant radiation pulses. The obtained results are discussed from point of view of LIAD applications for density control in spectroscopy investigations.
Optical characterization of antirelaxation coatings with regard to their applications in coherent spectroscopy and LIAD experiments is presented. A simple method, based on the recording of the fluorescence intensity of the Rb alkali atoms during resonant light pulse irradiation is used for comparison of the antirelaxation properties of the coatings. The LIAD yield and dynamics are measured by registration of the 780 nm Rb line transmission. The comparison of the parameters of PDMS coatings prepared with two different solutions in ether (PDMS 2% and PDMS 5%) shows that when illuminating with such LED intensity at which the LIAD efficiency is equal in the two cells, the light induced Rb vapor density changes are about an order of magnitude slower in the PDMS 2% cell, and the antirelaxation properties of the two cells are equal.
Light-induced atomic desorption (LIAD) is a non-thermal process in which atoms adsorbed at a surface are released under illumination. It is applied mostly to implementing optical dispensers in the cases when high atomic density at low temperature is needed – for example, for loading atomic devices as atomic magnetometers, atomic clocks, magneto-optical traps and their miniaturization. However, as the desorption depends on the atom-surface interaction, it can also be used for optical characterization and manipulation of alkali metal nanoparticles. The paper describes an experimental investigation of the shape of the transmission spectra and their dependence on the illuminating blue-light power in PDMS coated cells prepared with two different concentrations of PDMS in ether. A comparison is conducted with the LIAD effect in SC-77 coated and in uncoated cells. All measurements are performed on the Rb D2 line in vacuum. The potential is discussed for application of these dependences to analyzing the quality of the coating surface and its optimization.
This work is devoted to a systematic study of the effect of Light-Induced Atomic Desorption (LIAD). LIAD is a non-heating process in which atoms adsorbed on a surface are desorbed by illumination with non-resonant light. The aim of the dissertation is an experimental study of the LIAD process, its influence on the spectra of alkali atoms in optical cells without and with Anti-Relaxation Coating (ARC) and the possibilities of LIAD for optical characterization of ARC, as well as in high resolution spectroscopy. For the first time, the LIAD process under homogeneous illumination was investigated experimentally, whereby the efficiency of the LIAD was significantly increased even for a cell without ARC, the dynamic characteristics are obtained with a better signal to noise ratio and repeatability, and the desorption and adsorption processes are faster. LIAD effect in cells with different ARC coatings has shown that each coating has different desorption and adsorption rates and the results obtained show the possibility of applying the method for optical characterization of ARC. An experimental study of the number of collisions without atomic spin depolarization in cells with different ARCs and the impact of LIAD was performed, as well as various parameters such as laser intensity and cell temperature were investigated.
Many technologies based on cells containing alkali-metal atomic vapor benefit from the use of antirelaxation surface coatings in order to preserve atomic spin polarization. In particular, paraffin has been used for this purpose for several decades and has been demonstrated to allow an atom to experience up to 10 000 collisions with the walls of its container without depolarizing, but the details of its operation remain poorly understood. We apply modern surface and bulk techniques to the study of paraffin coatings in order to characterize the properties that enable the effective preservation of alkali spin polarization. These methods include Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, atomic force microscopy, near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We also compare the light-induced atomic desorption yields of several different paraffin materials. Experimental results include the determination that crystallinity of the coating material is unnecessary, and the detection of C[Double Bond]C double bonds present within a particular class of effective paraffin coatings. Further study should lead to the development of more robust paraffin antirelaxation coatings, as well as the design and synthesis of new classes of coating materials.
The dynamics of Light-Induced Atomic Desorption (LIAD) in 6 cells with different coatings (PDMS coated cells prepared with two different concentrations of PDMS in ether, SC-77, PCHS, DCDMS, OTS) is investigated. The rates of desorption and adsorption of the Rb atoms when the illuminating light is switched ON and OFF and their dependence on the illuminating blue-light power are measured. The influence of the homogeneity of illumination for increasing the desorption and adsorption rates is evaluated. The results are interesting for the better understanding of LIAD and its dynamics and for the development of new optoelectronic elements, LIAD-loaded atomic devices and their miniaturization, and new methods for surface and coating diagnostics.