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Physical Review Applied

Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency of 85 Rb vapor in a cell with Ne buffer gas

Nithiwadee Thaicharoen, Ryan Cardman, Georg A. Raithel

Published Jun 4, 2024• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Motivated by an interest in measuring electric fields in low-pressure noble-gas discharge plasmas and in dusty plasmas via noninvasive Stark-effect spectroscopy, we investigate Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of ${}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ atomic vapor in a glass cell that contains a 5-Torr neon buffer gas. We find that at low probe power the $\mathrm{Ne}$ buffer gas induces a positive frequency shift of the Rydberg-EIT lines of about 70 MHz as well as a broadening of about 120 MHz, with minimal dependence on the principal quantum number of the Rydberg states. The EIT line shift predominantly is a sum of a positive term from $s$-wave scattering between the Rydberg electron and the $\mathrm{Ne}$ atoms, and a negative term from the polarization of the $\mathrm{Ne}$ atoms within the Rydberg atom. The polarization shift is lesser in magnitude, resulting in the observed net positive shift. The line broadening is largely due to the $\mathrm{Ne}$ polarization. Our experimental results are in good qualitative agreement with our theoretical model, in which the shift is linear in buffer-gas density. Our results suggest that Rydberg EIT is suitable for noninvasive measurement of electric fields in buffer-gas cells that sustain a plasma discharge, and that it can serve as a direct spectroscopic probe for buffer-gas density at low pressure.

DOI
10.1103/physrevapplied.21.064004

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Rydberg-EIT of $^{85}$Rb vapor in a cell with Ne buffer gas

Nithiwadee Thaicharoen, Ryan Cardman, Georg A. Raithel

We investigate Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of $^{85}$Rb atomic vapor in a glass cell that contains a 5-Torr neon buffer gas. At low probe power, EIT lines exhibit a positive frequency shift of about 70~MHz and a broadening of about 120~MHz, with minimal dependence on the principal quantum number of the Rydberg states. The EIT line shift arises from s-wave scattering between the Rydberg electron and the Ne atoms, which induces a positive shift near 190~MHz, and from the polarization of the Ne atoms within the Rydberg atom, which adds a negative shift near -120~MHz. The line broadening is largely due to the Ne polarization. Our experimental results are in good qualitative agreement with our theoretical model, in which the shift is linear in buffer-gas density. Our results suggest that Rydberg-EIT can serve as a direct spectroscopic probe for buffer-gas density at low pressure, and that it is suitable for non-invasive measurement of electric fields in low-pressure noble-gas discharge plasmas and in dusty plasmas.

arXiv:2308.07554•Aug 15, 2023•0 citations

Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency of 85Rb vapor in Ar, Ne, and N2 gases

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An experimental study on Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in rubidium (Rb) vapor cells containing inert gases at pressures ≤5 Torr is reported. Using an inert-gas-free Rb vapor cell as a reference, we measure frequency shift and line broadening of the EIT spectra in Rb vapor cells with argon, neon, or nitrogen gases at pressures ranging from a few mTorr to 5 Torr. The results qualitatively agree with a pseudo-potential model that includes s-wave scattering between the Rydberg electron and the inert-gas atoms and the effect of polarization of the inert-gas atoms by the Rydberg atoms. Our results are important for establishing Rydberg-EIT as an all-optical and non-intrusive spectroscopic probe for field diagnostics in low-pressure radio frequency discharges.

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Electric field diagnostics in a continuous rf plasma using Rydberg-EIT

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We present a non-invasive spectroscopic technique to measure electric fields in plasma, leveraging large polarizabilities and Stark shifts of Rydberg atoms. Rydberg Stark shifts are measured with high precision using narrow-linewidth lasers via Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) of rubidium vapor seeded into a continuous, inductively coupled radio-frequency (rf) plasma in a few mTorr of argon gas. Without plasma, the Rydberg-EIT spectra exhibit rf modulation sidebands caused by electric- and magnetic-dipole transitions in the rf drive coil. With the plasma present, the rf modulation sidebands vanish due to screening of the rf drive field from the plasma interior. The lineshapes of the EIT spectra in the plasma reflect the plasma's Holtsmark microfield distribution, allowing us to determine plasma density and collisional line broadening over a range of pressures and rf drive powers. The work is expected to have applications in non-invasive spatio-temporal electric-field diagnostics of low-pressure plasma, plasma sheaths, process plasma and dusty plasma.

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Effects of inert background gases and photoillumination on three-color electromagnetically induced transparency of rubidium vapor

Alisher Duspayev, Bineet Dash, Georg A. Raithel

Three-color Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of room-temperature $\mathrm{Rb}$ vapor in the presence of inert gases ($\mathrm{Ar}$, $\mathrm{Ne}$, and ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$) at 50 and 500 mTorr is investigated. The observed EIT lines shift and develop blue-detuned satellite lines, dependent on inert-gas species and pressure. The separations of the satellite from the main EIT lines are approximately pressure-independent, while their strength increases with inert-gas pressure. The satellite lines are attributed to hyperfine collisions of the intermediate $5{D}_{3/2}$ state. Further, analyzing the Stark effect of Rydberg levels, it is found that the inert gases suppress static electric fields in the vapor cells, which we induce by photoillumination of the cell walls with an auxiliary 453-nm laser. In the work, we utilize Rydberg levels with principal quantum numbers $n=25$ and $50$ and angular momenta $\ensuremath{\ell}=3$ up to 6, excited by the EIT lasers and optional radio-frequency dressing fields. The work is of interest in the spectroscopic study of mixed-species warm vapors, in sensing applications of Rydberg atoms in vapor cells, and in noninvasive electric-field diagnostics of low-pressure discharge plasma.

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Electric field sensing via Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency using Zeeman and Stark effects

Y. C. Chen, Shao-Cheng Fang, Hsuan-Jui Su +1 more

Rydberg-assisted atomic electrometry with thermal vapors offers a promising approach for detecting external electric fields. However, this technique presents significant challenges for measuring low frequencies due to the effects of metal-alkali atoms adsorbed on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. In this work, we apply high-contrast Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectroscopy to systematically investigate these effects, including the influence of laser power and electric field strength. We demonstrate the ability to measure electric field frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. Additionally, this study identifies a fundamental limit for data capacity in such measurements. Furthermore, we propose a method for precise Stark shift measurements by locking the coupling laser to Zeeman-split Rydberg EIT peaks. Using the Zeeman shift in a reference cell as a stable frequency reference, we are able to track Stark-induced shifts in a science cell and confirm excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. These results provide valuable insights for future precision measurement techniques and field sensing applications based on Rydberg atom systems.

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Electromagnetically induced transparency of 87 Rb in a buffer gas cell with magnetic field

Hong Cheng, Han-Mu Wang, Shanshan Zhang +3 more

Abstract We have studied the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of 87 Rb vapor at room temperature in a magnetic field with an arbitrary angle to the laser propagation direction. Rather than exposing atoms to a parallelled or transverse magnetic field as usual, in our work, we apply a magnetic field (up to 45 Gauss) with an arbitrary angle to the laser propagation direction and the spectra become much more complex. More EIT dips are observed due to the Zeeman splitting on the D 2 line of 87 Rb in a Λ -type configuration. With a 5 Torr N 2 buffer gas in the thermal 2 cm vapor cell, the state 5 2 P 3 / 2 has a very short effective lifetime, corresponding to a large energy broadening, which removes the velocity selective optical pumping effect almost completely and keeps the high resolution EIT spectrum for the energy splitting of 87 Rb in magnetic fields. The shifting of the EIT resonances with the strength of the applied magnetic field coincides well with the theory based on a full matrix Hamiltonian combined with a spectral decomposition method. Our work can be extended to measure the magnetic field vector in space. The effects of the detuning of the probe and coupling beams on the spectral lines are also investigated.

Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics•Apr 18, 2017•35 citations
Motivated by an interest in measuring electric fields in low-pressure noble-gas discharge plasmas and in dusty plasmas via noninvasive Stark-effect spectroscopy, we investigate Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of 85Rb{}^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb atomic vapor in a glass cell that contains a 5-Torr neon buffer gas. We find that at low probe power the Ne\mathrm{Ne}Ne buffer gas induces a positive frequency shift of the Rydberg-EIT lines of about 70 MHz as well as a broadening of about 120 MHz, with minimal dependence on the principal quantum number of the Rydberg states. The EIT line shift predominantly is a sum of a positive term from sss-wave scattering between the Rydberg electron and the Ne\mathrm{Ne}Ne atoms, and a negative term from the polarization of the Ne\mathrm{Ne}Ne atoms within the Rydberg atom. The polarization shift is lesser in magnitude, resulting in the observed net positive shift. The line broadening is largely due to the Ne\mathrm{Ne}Ne polarization. Our experimental results are in good qualitative agreement with our theoretical model, in which the shift is linear in buffer-gas density. Our results suggest that Rydberg EIT is suitable for noninvasive measurement of electric fields in buffer-gas cells that sustain a plasma discharge, and that it can serve as a direct spectroscopic probe for buffer-gas density at low pressure.
Rydberg-EIT of 85^{85}85Rb vapor in a cell with Ne buffer gas
We investigate Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of 85^{85}85Rb atomic vapor in a glass cell that contains a 5-Torr neon buffer gas. At low probe power, EIT lines exhibit a positive frequency shift of about 70~MHz and a broadening of about 120~MHz, with minimal dependence on the principal quantum number of the Rydberg states. The EIT line shift arises from s-wave scattering between the Rydberg electron and the Ne atoms, which induces a positive shift near 190~MHz, and from the polarization of the Ne atoms within the Rydberg atom, which adds a negative shift near -120~MHz. The line broadening is largely due to the Ne polarization. Our experimental results are in good qualitative agreement with our theoretical model, in which the shift is linear in buffer-gas density. Our results suggest that Rydberg-EIT can serve as a direct spectroscopic probe for buffer-gas density at low pressure, and that it is suitable for non-invasive measurement of electric fields in low-pressure noble-gas discharge plasmas and in dusty plasmas.
An experimental study on Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in rubidium (Rb) vapor cells containing inert gases at pressures ≤5 Torr is reported. Using an inert-gas-free Rb vapor cell as a reference, we measure frequency shift and line broadening of the EIT spectra in Rb vapor cells with argon, neon, or nitrogen gases at pressures ranging from a few mTorr to 5 Torr. The results qualitatively agree with a pseudo-potential model that includes s-wave scattering between the Rydberg electron and the inert-gas atoms and the effect of polarization of the inert-gas atoms by the Rydberg atoms. Our results are important for establishing Rydberg-EIT as an all-optical and non-intrusive spectroscopic probe for field diagnostics in low-pressure radio frequency discharges.
We present a non-invasive spectroscopic technique to measure electric fields in plasma, leveraging large polarizabilities and Stark shifts of Rydberg atoms. Rydberg Stark shifts are measured with high precision using narrow-linewidth lasers via Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) of rubidium vapor seeded into a continuous, inductively coupled radio-frequency (rf) plasma in a few mTorr of argon gas. Without plasma, the Rydberg-EIT spectra exhibit rf modulation sidebands caused by electric- and magnetic-dipole transitions in the rf drive coil. With the plasma present, the rf modulation sidebands vanish due to screening of the rf drive field from the plasma interior. The lineshapes of the EIT spectra in the plasma reflect the plasma's Holtsmark microfield distribution, allowing us to determine plasma density and collisional line broadening over a range of pressures and rf drive powers. The work is expected to have applications in non-invasive spatio-temporal electric-field diagnostics of low-pressure plasma, plasma sheaths, process plasma and dusty plasma.
Three-color Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of room-temperature Rb\mathrm{Rb}Rb vapor in the presence of inert gases (Ar\mathrm{Ar}Ar, Ne\mathrm{Ne}Ne, and N2{\mathrm{N}}_{2}N2​) at 50 and 500 mTorr is investigated. The observed EIT lines shift and develop blue-detuned satellite lines, dependent on inert-gas species and pressure. The separations of the satellite from the main EIT lines are approximately pressure-independent, while their strength increases with inert-gas pressure. The satellite lines are attributed to hyperfine collisions of the intermediate 5D3/25{D}_{3/2}5D3/2​ state. Further, analyzing the Stark effect of Rydberg levels, it is found that the inert gases suppress static electric fields in the vapor cells, which we induce by photoillumination of the cell walls with an auxiliary 453-nm laser. In the work, we utilize Rydberg levels with principal quantum numbers n=25n=25n=25 and 505050 and angular momenta $\ensuremath{\ell}=3$ up to 6, excited by the EIT lasers and optional radio-frequency dressing fields. The work is of interest in the spectroscopic study of mixed-species warm vapors, in sensing applications of Rydberg atoms in vapor cells, and in noninvasive electric-field diagnostics of low-pressure discharge plasma.
Rydberg-assisted atomic electrometry with thermal vapors offers a promising approach for detecting external electric fields. However, this technique presents significant challenges for measuring low frequencies due to the effects of metal-alkali atoms adsorbed on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. In this work, we apply high-contrast Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectroscopy to systematically investigate these effects, including the influence of laser power and electric field strength. We demonstrate the ability to measure electric field frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. Additionally, this study identifies a fundamental limit for data capacity in such measurements. Furthermore, we propose a method for precise Stark shift measurements by locking the coupling laser to Zeeman-split Rydberg EIT peaks. Using the Zeeman shift in a reference cell as a stable frequency reference, we are able to track Stark-induced shifts in a science cell and confirm excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. These results provide valuable insights for future precision measurement techniques and field sensing applications based on Rydberg atom systems.
Abstract We have studied the phenomenon of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of 87 Rb vapor at room temperature in a magnetic field with an arbitrary angle to the laser propagation direction. Rather than exposing atoms to a parallelled or transverse magnetic field as usual, in our work, we apply a magnetic field (up to 45 Gauss) with an arbitrary angle to the laser propagation direction and the spectra become much more complex. More EIT dips are observed due to the Zeeman splitting on the D 2 line of 87 Rb in a Λ -type configuration. With a 5 Torr N 2 buffer gas in the thermal 2 cm vapor cell, the state 5 2 P 3 / 2 has a very short effective lifetime, corresponding to a large energy broadening, which removes the velocity selective optical pumping effect almost completely and keeps the high resolution EIT spectrum for the energy splitting of 87 Rb in magnetic fields. The shifting of the EIT resonances with the strength of the applied magnetic field coincides well with the theory based on a full matrix Hamiltonian combined with a spectral decomposition method. Our work can be extended to measure the magnetic field vector in space. The effects of the detuning of the probe and coupling beams on the spectral lines are also investigated.