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OSA Continuum

Beam shape modification due to the non-linear optical response in a dense rubidium vapor

A. J. van Lange, S. P. van Solinge, Gijs Buist, D. van Oosten

Published Jul 13, 2021• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Dense atomic vapors have strong non-linear optical properties for near-resonant light. As a result, an initially Gaussian beam profile is strongly distorted due to propagation through such a dense vapor, leading to various distinct beam profiles. In our experiment, we track the detuning from resonance at which these beam profiles occur as a function of intensity. We establish a detuning curve as a function of intensity for each shape at two different cell temperatures. After proper scaling, the detuning curves all collapse onto one universal detuning curve, which suggests that the shapes are manifestations of the same underlying phenomenon.

DOI
10.1364/osac.432780

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Dense atomic vapors have strong non-linear optical properties for near-resonant light. As a result, an initially Gaussian beam profile is strongly distorted due to propagation through such a dense vapor, leading to various distinct beam profiles. In our experiment, we track the detuning from resonance at which these beam profiles occur as a function of intensity. We establish a detuning curve as a function of intensity for each shape at two different cell temperatures. After proper scaling, the detuning curves all collapse onto one universal detuning curve, which suggests that the shapes are manifestations of the same underlying phenomenon.
Laser light can exhibit nonlinear behaviour when interacting with dense atomic vapours.\nThis can give rise to a variety of interesting phenomena such as slow light and optically induced transparency. Recently A.~J. van Lange measured nonlinear transmission of light through a Rubidium vapour and developed a physical model to describe these measurements. Van Lange also investigated the formation of different beam profiles, in a dense Rubidium vapour and from Gaussian input beams, as a function of intensity and optical frequency.\n\nHere we expand on van Lange's measurements by measuring over a large frequency range which includes multiple atomic transition lines and by employing off-axis holography which allows for simultaneous measurement of the intensity and phase. Analysis of beam profiles based on the structural similarity index (SSIM) uncovered beam profiles whose path through intensity-detuning space could be described with van Lange's generalised detuning curve. Off-axis holography measurements are in agreement with regular intensity measurements but exhibits a greater amount of noise.
We analyze the line shape and width of atomic coherent-population-trapping (CPT) resonances excited by laser beams with different transverse intensity profiles. A dramatic difference in the resonance line shape is found when comparing a beam with a ``steplike'' profile to a beam with a Gaussian profile. In particular, for nonuniform profiles, a non-Lorentzian functional form is given that is more appropriate for describing the nonlinear resonance line shape than is a conventional Lorentzian. Our analysis is supported by measurements of CPT line shapes in a thermal vapor of 85Rb.{}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}.85Rb.
We report a tunable ring-shaped diffraction pattern via either nonlinear spatial self- or cross-phase modulation caused by the EIT-like effect in rubidium atomic vapor. During the propagation of an input Gaussian-profile beam, its output wavefront exhibits a ring-shaped diffraction pattern. Furthermore, the spot center can be tuned from dark to bright by varying individual experimental parameters, such as power, frequency detuning, the polarization state of the incident beams and atomic temperature, which makes the nonlinear phase shift evolve beyond 2π. In particular, the input intensity can be as low as 500 W m-2.
In this manuscript, we demonstrate the ability of nonlinear light-atom interactions to produce tunably non-Gaussian, partially self-healing optical modes. Gaussian spatial-mode light tuned near to the atomic resonances in hot rubidium vapor is shown to result in non-Gaussian output mode structures that may be controlled by varying either the input beam power or the temperature of the atomic vapor. We show that the output modes exhibit a degree of self-reconstruction after encountering an obstruction in the beam path. The resultant modes are similar to truncated Bessel-Gauss modes that exhibit the ability to self-reconstruct earlier upon propagation than Gaussian modes. The ability to generate tunable, self-reconstructing beams has potential applications to a variety of imaging and communication scenarios.
We demonstrate a scheme to measure the saturable nonlinearity of atomic vapor by mapping its nonlinear response function onto a light beam profile. Our analysis shows that a part of a nonlinear optical solution solved in a model governing the nonlinear beam dynamics in atomic vapor can be used to perform this measurement, even in the presence of large absorption. A desired beam profile is achieved by an evolution of a well-known structured beam, namely the Airy beam. Using this simple yet effective method, we retrieve the saturable nonlinear response function of rubidium (Rb) atomic vapor in experiment, and employ it in light propagation simulation that reproduces well observed nonlinear dynamics, which nevertheless cannot be fitted in a strong nonlinear regime with an ideal Kerr approximation. Our method is applicable to a broad spectrum of materials featured with saturable nonlinearities.
There are abundant nonlinear effects in atomic vapor. In this paper, the phenomenon of laser breaking up into filaments is studied in the near-resonant rubidium atomic vapor，which is induced by the strong nonlinear Kerr effect. When the continuous-wave laser beam with transverse Gaussian distribution passes through the atomic vapor, the pattern arising from the coherent superposition of the diffraction patterns of filaments is observed. We also investigated the influence on the mode pattern by input power of laser, the temperature of the vapor cell and the frequency detuning of pump light. Due to the hyperfine structure of rubidium atoms, the four-wave mixing effect exists in hot rubidium atomic vapor, which is related to the third-order nonlinear effect closely. The Raman gain of the Stokes and anti-Stokes photons is observed by scanning the frequency of the probe beam.