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

Dmitry Budker

Published Dec 1, 1997• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

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

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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).

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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.

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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.

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Three calculations of optical Faraday rotation are presented in which a linearly polarized field is incident on a medium of harmonic oscillators in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field. The rotation of the plane of polarization of the field is evaluated using classical oscillators and the Lorentz force equation, quantum oscillators and the Heisenberg equations of motion, and quantum oscillators and a Schrödinger equation approach. It is shown that a simple argument, based on the assumption that a circularly polarized field drives either Δm=1 or Δm=−1 transitions on absorption (m is the magnetic quantum number), leads to an incorrect result for the Verdet constant.

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Nonlinear magneto-optical rotation with modulated light in tilted magnetic fields

Szymon Pustelny, Wojciech Gawlik, Simon Rochester +3 more

Larmor precession of laser-polarized atoms contained in antirelaxation-coated cells, detected via nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR), is a promising technique for a new generation of ultrasensitive atomic magnetometers. For magnetic fields directed along the light propagation direction, resonances in NMOR appear when linearly polarized light is frequency or amplitude modulated at twice the Larmor frequency. Because the frequency of these resonances depends on the magnitude but not the direction of the field, they are useful for scalar magnetometry. Additional NMOR resonances at the Larmor frequency appear when the magnetic field is tilted away from the light propagation direction in the plane defined by the light propagation and polarization vectors. These resonances, studied both experimentally and with a density matrix calculation in the present work, offer a convenient method of achieving additional information about a direction of the magnetic field.

arXiv:physics/0606257•Physical Review A•Dec 29, 2006•56 citations
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.
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.
Three calculations of optical Faraday rotation are presented in which a linearly polarized field is incident on a medium of harmonic oscillators in the presence of a longitudinal magnetic field. The rotation of the plane of polarization of the field is evaluated using classical oscillators and the Lorentz force equation, quantum oscillators and the Heisenberg equations of motion, and quantum oscillators and a Schrödinger equation approach. It is shown that a simple argument, based on the assumption that a circularly polarized field drives either Δm=1 or Δm=−1 transitions on absorption (m is the magnetic quantum number), leads to an incorrect result for the Verdet constant.
Larmor precession of laser-polarized atoms contained in antirelaxation-coated cells, detected via nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR), is a promising technique for a new generation of ultrasensitive atomic magnetometers. For magnetic fields directed along the light propagation direction, resonances in NMOR appear when linearly polarized light is frequency or amplitude modulated at twice the Larmor frequency. Because the frequency of these resonances depends on the magnitude but not the direction of the field, they are useful for scalar magnetometry. Additional NMOR resonances at the Larmor frequency appear when the magnetic field is tilted away from the light propagation direction in the plane defined by the light propagation and polarization vectors. These resonances, studied both experimentally and with a density matrix calculation in the present work, offer a convenient method of achieving additional information about a direction of the magnetic field.