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arXiv:physics/0511123 · Physical Review A

Pump-probe nonlinear magneto-optical rotation with frequency-modulated light

Szymon Pustelny, Derek F. Jackson Kimball, Simon Rochester, Valeriy V. Yashchuk, Wojciech Gawlik, Dmitry Budker

Published Feb 21, 2006• 49 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Specific types of atomic coherences between Zeeman sublevels can be generated and detected using a method based on nonlinear magneto-optical rotation with frequency-modulated light. Linearly polarized, frequency-modulated light is employed to selectively generate ground-state coherences between Zeeman sublevels for which $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}m=2$ and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}m=4$ in $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$ and $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms, and additionally $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}m=6$ in $^{85}\mathrm{Rb}$. The atomic coherences are detected with a separate, unmodulated probe light beam. Separation of the pump and probe beams enables independent investigation of the processes of creation and detection of the atomic coherences. With the present technique the transfer of the Zeeman coherences, including high-order coherences, from excited to ground state by spontaneous emission has been observed.

DOI
10.1103/physreva.73.023817

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Specific types of atomic coherences between Zeeman sublevels can be generated and detected using a method based on nonlinear magneto-optical rotation with frequency-modulated light. Linearly polarized, frequency-modulated light is employed to selectively generate ground-state coherences between Zeeman sublevels for which \ensuremathΔm=2\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}m=2\ensuremathΔm=2 and \ensuremathΔm=4\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}m=4\ensuremathΔm=4 in 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb and 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb atoms, and additionally \ensuremathΔm=6\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}m=6\ensuremathΔm=6 in 85Rb^{85}\mathrm{Rb}85Rb. The atomic coherences are detected with a separate, unmodulated probe light beam. Separation of the pump and probe beams enables independent investigation of the processes of creation and detection of the atomic coherences. With the present technique the transfer of the Zeeman coherences, including high-order coherences, from excited to ground state by spontaneous emission has been observed.
We present, experimentally and theoretically, nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR) using two spatially separated laser beams, the pump laser beam for creation and the probe laser beam for detection of the coherence between ground Zeeman sublevels. Both pump and probe lasers are tuned to ${F}_{g}=2\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{F}_{e}=1$ transition in 87Rb^{87}\text{R}\text{b}87Rb. With the specially designed spatial configuration of the pump and the probe beams we were able to obtain dispersively shaped probe laser NMOR resonances in the Rb vacuum gas cell. The theory indicates that the obtained line shapes are due to the interference between prepared atomic states and the probe laser field. The interference nature of the resonances is supported by narrowing of NMOR resonances with increased separation between laser beams, and by the shift of the central fringe from the zero magnetic field with increased angle between initial orientation of electric vectors of linearly polarized pump and probe beams.
A self-oscillating magnetometer based on nonlinear magneto-optical rotation using amplitude-modulated pump light and unmodulated probe light (AM-NMOR) in 87Rb has been constructed and tested towards a goal of airborne detection of magnetic anomalies. In AM-NMOR, stroboscopic optical pumping via amplitude modulation of the pump beam creates alignment of the ground electronic state of the rubidium atoms. The Larmor precession causes an ac rotation of the polarization of a separate probe beam; the polarization rotation frequency provides a measure of the magnetic field. An anti-relaxation coating on the walls of the atomic vapor cell results in a long lifetime of 56 ms for the alignment, which enables precise measurement of the precession frequency. Light is delivered to the magnetometer by polarization-maintaining optical fibers. Tests of the sensitivity include directly measuring the beat frequency between the magnetometer and a commercial instrument and measurements of Earth's field under magnetically quiet conditions, indicating a sensitivity of at least 5 pT/νHz. Rotating the sensor indicates a heading error of less than 1 nT, limited in part by residual magnetism of the sensor.
Amplitude-modulated nonlinear magneto-optical rotation is a powerful technique that offers a possibility of controllable generation of given quantum states. In this paper, we demonstrate creation and detection of specific ground-state magnetic-sublevel superpositions in 87Rb^{87}\mathrm{Rb}87Rb. By appropriate tuning of the modulation frequency and magnetic-field induction the efficiency of a given coherence generation is controlled. The processes are analyzed versus different experimental parameters.
Recent work investigating resonant nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR) related to long-lived $({\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{rel}}\ensuremath{\sim}1\mathrm{s})$ ground-state atomic coherences has demonstrated potential magnetometric sensitivities exceeding ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{G}∕\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ for small $(\ensuremath{\lesssim}1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}\mathrm{G}$) magnetic fields. In the present work, NMOR using frequency-modulated light (FM NMOR) is studied in the regime where the longitudinal magnetic field is in the geophysical range$(\ensuremath{\sim}500\mathrm{mG})$, of particular interest for many applications. In this regime a splitting of the FM NMOR resonance due to the nonlinear Zeeman effect is observed. At sufficiently high light intensities, there is also a splitting of the FM NMOR resonances due to ac Stark shifts induced by the optical field, as well as evidence of alignment-to-orientation conversion type processes. The consequences of these effects for FM-NMOR-based atomic magnetometry in the geophysical field range are considered.
A magnetometric technique is demonstrated that may be suitable for precision measurements of fields ranging from the submicrogauss level to above the earth field. It is based on resonant nonlinear magneto-optical rotation caused by atoms contained in a vapor cell with antirelaxation wall coating. Linearly polarized, frequency-modulated laser light is used for optical pumping and probing. If the time-dependent optical rotation is measured at the first harmonic of the modulation frequency, ultra-narrow (\ensuremath{\sim} a few hertz) resonances are observed at near-zero magnetic fields, and at fields where the Larmor frequency coincides with half the light modulation frequency. Upon optimization, the sensitivity of the technique is expected to exceed ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}11} G/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}.$