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Joint Conference of the European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (EFTF/IFCS)

Anomalous Level-crossing Resonances in Rb Vapor Cells with Buffer Gas

Wei Xiao, Meng Liu, Teng Wu, Xiang Peng, Hong Wei Guo

Published Apr 24, 2022• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

SummaryThe ground-state level-crossing resonance, or Hanle resonance, in atomic vapors are widely used for atomic magnetometry. In this paper, we report observations of anomalous level-crossing resonances for Rb vapor in a buffer-gas cell. By optically pumping alkali atoms with a ring-shaped laser beam and detecting the spin polarization in the hole of the pumping light with an off-resonance light, we observe a polarization reversion when scanning the transverse magnetic field around zero. Both experiments and simulations are demonstrated.

DOI
10.1109/eftf/ifcs54560.2022.9850902

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Cs and Rb atomic vapors have been optically pumped in their ground states. The optical/rf-field configuration used allowed for the optical detection of magnetic resonance spectra with subkilohertz resolution by a pump–probe beam technique, in which the free-precessional motion of spins is recorded in the time domain. A six-level system serves as a model to describe the dependence of the observed spectra on the optical frequencies involved. With an intense laser beam applied during the free-precession period, Zeeman light-shift effects are observed. The spatial electric-field distribution of the laser beams and particle diffusion have to be taken into account to let us explain the observed magnetic resonance line shapes adequately.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•May 1, 1995•13 citations
SummaryThe ground-state level-crossing resonance, or Hanle resonance, in atomic vapors are widely used for atomic magnetometry. In this paper, we report observations of anomalous level-crossing resonances for Rb vapor in a buffer-gas cell. By optically pumping alkali atoms with a ring-shaped laser beam and detecting the spin polarization in the hole of the pumping light with an off-resonance light, we observe a polarization reversion when scanning the transverse magnetic field around zero. Both experiments and simulations are demonstrated.
The ground-state Hanle effect (GSHE) in alkali-metal atomic vapor using a single circularly polarized light wave underlies one of the most reliable and simple techniques of modern atomic magnetometry. This effect causes a narrow (subnatural-width) resonance in the light wave intensity passing through the vapor cell. The GSHE-based sensors typically operate in the so-called spin-exchange relaxation-free (SERF) regime to reduce the resonance linewidth. However, this regime requires a relatively high temperature of vapors (approximately equal to $150{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$), leading to high heat release and power consumption of the sensor head. In addition, without applying special measures, the SERF regime significantly limits the dynamic range of measurements. Here we study a pump-probe scheme involving a single elliptically polarized light wave and a polarimetric detection technique. The wave is in resonance with two adjacent optical transitions in the cesium D1{D}_{1}D1​ line ($\ensuremath{\lambda}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\approx}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}894.5$ nm) due to their overlap in the presence of a buffer gas (130 Torr neon). Using a small ($V\ensuremath{\approx}0.1\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$) glass vapor cell, we demonstrate the possibility to observe subnatural-width resonances with a high contrast-to-width ratio (up to 45%/mG) in low-temperature ($60{\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}\mathrm{C}$) operation due to strong light-induced circular dichroism in the medium. Based on the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ scheme of atomic energy levels, we obtain explicit analytical expressions for the shape of the resonance line. The model reveals a linewidth narrowing effect due to openness of the level scheme. The observed bright features are unusual for magneto-optical atomic spectroscopy as openness is commonly considered to be an undesirable effect that degrades resonance characteristics. Measuring the noise voltage, we estimate the sensitivity of the magnetic-field measurements to be 1.8 pT/Hz\mathrm{pT}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}pT/Hz​ with a sensitivity of 60 fT/Hz\mathrm{fT}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}fT/Hz​ in the photon-shot-noise limit. In general, the results contribute to the theory of GSHE resonances and also can be applied to development of a low-temperature high-sensitivity miniaturized magnetic-field sensor with an extended dynamic range.
Level-crossing (LC) resonances in a buffer-gas-filled cesium vapor cell are studied under counterpropagating pump and probe light waves with opposite circular polarizations. The waves excite the D1_11​-line ground-state level FgF_gFg​= =\,=444, while a transverse magnetic field (Bx{\rm B}_xBx​⊥\perp⊥k{\rm k}k) is scanned around zero to observe the resonance of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA). It is shown that adding the pump light wave significantly improves the properties of the resonances in comparison with the commonly used scheme with a single light wave. As far as a small vapor cell ($\approx\,0.1cm0.1 cm0.1cm^3)atrelativelylowtemperature() at relatively low temperature ()atrelativelylowtemperature(\approx\,45−6045-6045−60\,^\circ$C) is utilized, the results have good prospects for developing a low-power miniaturized atomic magnetometer.
We present the transformation in the Hanle configuration of the transmission that results from coherent population trapping (CPT) into the level-crossing absorption (LCA) that results from the single-photon optical pumping in the 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb D1{D}_{1}D1​ line of a Rb vapor cell with a Ne buffer gas when the polarization of the laser field is changed from linear to circular. The LCA spectrum, with a narrow spectral width of 2.42.42.4 mG (1.71.71.7 kHz), was observed in the ${F}_{g}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{F}_{e}\ensuremath{\leqslant}{F}_{g}$ transition with the circularly polarized laser. This may be because the LCA is both related to the transverse magnetic field and the atom-laser interaction time resulting from diffusive atomic motion in the cell with the buffer gas. The CPT and LCA spectra were calculated numerically using the full density matrix equations for the relevant magnetic sublevels of the hyperfine levels, considering the residual magnetic fields perpendicular to laser propagation and the collision effects resulting from the buffer gas. There was good qualitative agreement between theoretical and experimental results.
Abstract Zero-field level-crossing resonances (LCRs) underlay one of the most robust and simplest techniques in atomic magnetometry. LCR-based miniaturized magnetic field sensors have already found relevant applications in biology and medicine. Such sensors utilize a single circularly polarized light wave to interact with alkali-metal atoms (usually Rb or Cs) and to observe the LCR in a vapor-cell transmission when a transverse magnetic field is scanned around zero value. A high-temperature regime (T ≈ 120 − 160°C) is required to achieve a desirable sensitivity of measurements. It can be a problem for some applications, especially in a multi-channel mode of operation. Here, we consider two spectroscopy techniques that can provide high-contrast and narrow LCRs under a relatively low temperature of the cell (≤60°C). These techniques imply using two light waves: the pump wave to polarize the atoms and the probe one to register the resonance. A cubic glass cell of 5×5×5 mm3 size is used in the experiments. It is filled with cesium vapors and neon as a buffer gas. The results can be used for developing a miniaturized low-power high-sensitivity magnetic field sensor for biomedical applications.
We examine the level-crossing resonance in a cesium vapor cell filled with a buffer gas under counterpropagating pump and probe light waves with orthogonal linear polarizations. An optical transition F g = 4 → F e = 3 is excited in the D 1 line. Probe-wave transmission is analyzed versus a static magnetic field applied along the wave vectors. This configuration can provide ultrahigh-contrast electromagnetically induced absorption resonances. We report here a new, to the best of our knowledge, magneto-optical effect in the resonance shift caused by a transverse magnetic field and discuss how it can be applied in vector magnetometry.
Cs and Rb atomic vapors have been optically pumped in their ground states. The optical/rf-field configuration used allowed for the optical detection of magnetic resonance spectra with subkilohertz resolution by a pump–probe beam technique, in which the free-precessional motion of spins is recorded in the time domain. A six-level system serves as a model to describe the dependence of the observed spectra on the optical frequencies involved. With an intense laser beam applied during the free-precession period, Zeeman light-shift effects are observed. The spatial electric-field distribution of the laser beams and particle diffusion have to be taken into account to let us explain the observed magnetic resonance line shapes adequately.