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Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics

Study of the velocity-selection satellites present in the 5P3/2→6PJ ( J=1/2, 3/2 ) electric quadrupole transitions in atomic rubidium

F. Ponciano-Ojeda, Cristian Mojica-Casique, L M Hoyos-Campo, F. Ramírez-Martínez, J. Flores-Mijangos, J. Jiménez-Mier

Published Sep 8, 2023• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract This article presents detailed experimental and theoretical studies of the satellite fluorescence lines observed when the <?CDATA $5P_{3/2} \to 6P_J $?> 5 P 3 / 2 → 6 P J , ( <?CDATA $J = 1/2 $?> J = 1 / 2 , <?CDATA $3/2$?> 3 / 2 ) electric quadrupole transition (E2) is excited in a room temperature vapor of rubidium atoms. The initial state of this E2 transition is prepared by a narrow linewidth (9 MHz) laser locked to one of the dominant <?CDATA $5S_{1/2} \to 5P_{3/2} $?> 5 S 1 / 2 → 5 P 3 / 2 D2 hyperfine excitations for zero-velocity atoms. Effects due to the selection of different atomic velocity classes in this preparation step are responsible for the presence of several satellite lines that can be found in the fluorescence decay spectra of both 85Rb and 87Rb. Compared to the main lines, these satellites do not show a strong dependence on the relative linear polarization directions of the lasers used in the preparation and the electric quadrupole steps. The relative intensities of the satellites decrease as the intensity of the preparation laser increases. Results of a rate equation calculation that explicitly includes selection-of-velocity effects indicate that optical pumping plays a central role in determining the relative intensities and the polarization dependence of the satellite lines. When the preparation laser is locked to the <?CDATA $5S_{1/2} \ F_1 = 1 \to 5P_{3/2} \ F_2 = 0$?> 5 S 1 / 2 F 1 = 1 → 5 P 3 / 2 F 2 = 0 low-F cyclic transition in 87Rb, six lines were found in addition to the <?CDATA $5P_{3/2} \ F_2 = 0 \to 6P_{3/2} \ F_3 = 2 $?> 5 P 3 / 2 F 2 = 0 → 6 P 3 / 2 F 3 = 2 lone electric quadrupole transition for zero velocity atoms. In this case, the calculated spectrum is necessary for the correct interpretation of the experimental results, clearly indicating that optical pumping and selection of velocities are responsible for these six additional electric quadrupole lines.

DOI
10.1088/1361-6455/acf821

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Abstract This article presents detailed experimental and theoretical studies of the satellite fluorescence lines observed when the <?CDATA $5P_{3/2} \to 6P_J $?> 5 P 3 / 2 → 6 P J , ( <?CDATA $J = 1/2 $?> J = 1 / 2 , <?CDATA $3/2$?> 3 / 2 ) electric quadrupole transition (E2) is excited in a room temperature vapor of rubidium atoms. The initial state of this E2 transition is prepared by a narrow linewidth (9 MHz) laser locked to one of the dominant <?CDATA $5S_{1/2} \to 5P_{3/2} $?> 5 S 1 / 2 → 5 P 3 / 2 D2 hyperfine excitations for zero-velocity atoms. Effects due to the selection of different atomic velocity classes in this preparation step are responsible for the presence of several satellite lines that can be found in the fluorescence decay spectra of both 85Rb and 87Rb. Compared to the main lines, these satellites do not show a strong dependence on the relative linear polarization directions of the lasers used in the preparation and the electric quadrupole steps. The relative intensities of the satellites decrease as the intensity of the preparation laser increases. Results of a rate equation calculation that explicitly includes selection-of-velocity effects indicate that optical pumping plays a central role in determining the relative intensities and the polarization dependence of the satellite lines. When the preparation laser is locked to the <?CDATA $5S_{1/2} \ F_1 = 1 \to 5P_{3/2} \ F_2 = 0$?> 5 S 1 / 2 F 1 = 1 → 5 P 3 / 2 F 2 = 0 low-F cyclic transition in 87Rb, six lines were found in addition to the <?CDATA $5P_{3/2} \ F_2 = 0 \to 6P_{3/2} \ F_3 = 2 $?> 5 P 3 / 2 F 2 = 0 → 6 P 3 / 2 F 3 = 2 lone electric quadrupole transition for zero velocity atoms. In this case, the calculated spectrum is necessary for the correct interpretation of the experimental results, clearly indicating that optical pumping and selection of velocities are responsible for these six additional electric quadrupole lines.
This paper presents a general review of the results of the experimental and theoretical work carried out by our research group to study the 5P3/2→6PJ electric quadrupole transition in atomic rubidium. The experiments were carried out with room-temperature atoms in an absorption cell. A steady-state population of atoms in the 5P3/2 excited state is produced by a a narrow-bandwidth preparation laser locked to the D2 transition. A second CW laser is used to produce the forbidden transition with resolution of the 6PJ hyperfine states of both rubidium isotopes. The process is detected by recording the 420(422) nm fluorescence that occurs when the atoms in the 6PJ state decay directly into the 5S ground state. The fluorescence spectra show a strong dependence on the relative polarization directions of the preparation laser and the beam producing the forbidden transition. This dependence is directly related to a strong anisotropy in the populations of the 5P3/2 intermediate magnetic substates, and also to the electric quadrupole selection rules over magnetic quantum numbers. A calculation based on the rate equations that includes velocity and detuning dependent transition rates is adequate to reproduce these results. The forbidden transition is also shown to be an ideal probe to measure the Autler–Townes splitting generated in the preparation of the 5P3/2 state. Examples of spectra obtained with cold atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) are also presented. These spectra show the expected Autler–Townes doublet structure with asymmetric line profiles that result as a consequence of the red-detuning of the trapping laser in the MOT.
Doppler-free optical double-resonance spectroscopy is used to study the 5S1/2 → 5P3/2 → 6Pj (j = 3/2,1/2) excitation sequence in room-temperature rubidium atoms. This involves a 5S1/2 → 5P3/2 electric dipole preparation step followed by the 5P3/2 → 6Pj electric quadrupole excitation. The electric dipole forbidden transitions occur at 911.0 nm (j = 3/2) and 917.5 nm (j = 1/2). Production of atoms in the 6Pj states is detected by observing their direct decay to the ground state through emission of blue photons (λ ≈ 420 nm). A detailed experimental and theoretical study of the dependence on the relative linear polarizations of excitation beams is made. It is shown that specific electric quadrupole selection rules over magnetic quantum numbers are directly related to the relative orientation of the linear polarization of the excitation beams.
Abstract We present the first evidence of excitation of the 5 p 3 / 2 → 6 p 1 / 2 electric dipole-forbidden transition in atomic rubidium. The experiments were done in a rubidium vapor cell using Doppler-free optical–optical double resonance spectroscopy with counter-propagating beams, with a similar scheme to the excitation of the other fine transition 6 p 3/2 in the 6 p J manifold reported in Ponciano-Ojeda et al (2015 Phys. Rev. A 92 042511). The 5 p 3 / 2 → 6 p 1 / 2 dipole-forbidden excitation occurs at a wavelength λ ≈ 917.5 nm. The spectra showed the two main hyperfine states of the 6 p 1/2 manifold, and also resolved up to three satellites that appear due to effects of selection of velocities in thermal rubidium atoms. The polarization dependence of the relative intensities of the hyperfine lines of the decay fluorescence is also investigated. The data show that the individual line intensities and also the total cross-section have a strong dependence on the polarization direction. Experimental data for different polarization configurations of the light beams used in this two-photon spectroscopy are compared with the results of calculations that consider a strong atom-field coupling in the preparation step, followed by a weak electric quadrupole excitation and the blue fluorescence decay emission. Good agreement between experiment and this three-step model is found in the case of linear–linear polarizations, which confirms the results found for the 5 p 3 / 2 → 6 p 3 / 2 forbidden transition. The results presented here complete the information about the 5 p 3/2 → 6 p J electric dipole-forbidden transition in rubidium.
Abstract Doppler-free optical double-resonance spectroscopy is used to study the 5 s 1 / 2 → 5 p 3 / 2 → 6 p 3 / 2 excitation sequence in room-temperature rubidium atoms. This involves a 5 s 1 / 2 → 5 p 3 / 2 electric dipole preparation step followed by the 5 p 3 / 2 → 6 p 3 / 2 electric quadrupole excitation. A detailed experimental and theoretical study of the dependance on the excitation beams polarization from the 420 nm decay fluorescence ( 6 p 3 / 2 → 5 s 1 / 2 ) is presented. When a circularly polarized preparation beam is used, it produces a strongly oriented 5 p 3 / 2 intermediate state. In this case a linear quadrupole excitation beam transfers the oriented state to the 6 p 3 / 2 hyperfine states. For linearly polarized preparation and quadrupole excitation beams the spectra of the 6 p 3 / 2 hyperfine lines follow a cosine squared dependence on the angle betwe
An advanced undergraduate experiment to study the 5P3/2→6P3/2 electric quadrupole transition in rubidium atoms is presented. The experiment uses two external cavity diode lasers, one operating at the D2 rubidium resonance line and the other built with commercial parts to emit at 911 nm. The lasers produce the 5s→5p→6p excitation sequence in which the second step is the forbidden transition. Production of atoms in the 6P3/2 state is observed by detection of the 420 nm fluorescence that results from electric dipole decay into the ground state. Lines whose widths are significantly narrower than the Doppler width are used to study the hyperfine structure of the 6P3/2 state in rubidium. The spectra illustrate characteristics unique to electric dipole forbidden transitions, like the electric quadrupole selection rules; they are also used to show general aspects of two-color laser spectroscopy such as velocity selection and hyperfine pumping.
Direct evidence of excitation of the $5{p}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6{p}_{3/2}$ electric-dipole-forbidden transition in atomic rubidium is presented. The experiments were performed in a room-temperature rubidium cell with continuous-wave external cavity diode lasers. Optical-optical double-resonance spectroscopy with counterpropagating beams allows the detection of the nondipole transition free of Doppler broadening. The 5p3/25{p}_{3/2}5p3/2​ state is prepared by excitation with a laser locked to the maximum FFF cyclic transition of the D2{D}_{2}D2​ line, and the forbidden transition is produced by excitation with a 911 nm laser. Production of the forbidden transition is monitored by detection of the 420 nm fluorescence that results from decay of the 6p3/26{p}_{3/2}6p3/2​ state. Spectra with three narrow lines ($\ensuremath{\approx}13$ MHz FWHM) with the characteristic $F\ensuremath{-}1, F$, and F+1F+1F+1 splitting of the 6p3/26{p}_{3/2}6p3/2​ hyperfine structure in both rubidium isotopes were obtained. The results are in very good agreement with a direct calculation that takes into account the $5s\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{p}_{3/2}$ preparation dynamics, the $5{p}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}6{p}_{3/2}$ nondipole excitation geometry, and the $6{p}_{3/2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}5{s}_{1/2}$ decay. The comparison also shows that the electric-dipole-forbidden transition is a very sensitive probe of the preparation dynamics.