Splitting of the electromagnetically induced transparency resonance on 85Rb atoms in strong magnetic fields up to the Paschen-Back regime

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance in strong magnetic fields of up to 1.7 kG has been investigated with the use of a 30-??m cell filled with an atomic rubidium vapor and neon as a buffer gas. The EIT resonance in the ?? system of the D₁ line of ⁸⁵Rb atoms has been formed with the use of two narrowband (??1 MHz) 795-nm diode lasers. The EIT resonance in a longitudinal magnetic field is split into five components. It has been demonstrated that the frequencies of the five EIT components are either blue- or red-shifted with an increase in the magnetic field, depending on the frequency ??_P of the probe laser. In has been shown that in both cases the ⁸⁵Rb atoms enter the hyperfine Paschen-Back regime in magnetic fields of >1 kG. The hyperfine Paschen-Back regime is manifested by the frequency slopes of all five EIT components asymptotically approaching the same fixed value. The experiment agrees well with the theory.     

Features of the hyperfine interaction of tin impurities in metallic holmium

The Mössbauer effect has been used to study the hyperfine fields for the¹¹⁹Sn atom as an impurity in metallic Ho in the 4.5–136 K temperature range. Two values of the field relevant to the features of the Ho magnetic structure have been found in the ferro- and antiferromagnetic regions of ordering. The temperature dependence of the fields differs drastically from the magnetization function and is similar to the case of a Dy host studied earlier. The experiments with a 40 kOe external magnetic field at 25 K have revealed a strong (up to 19%) hysteresis in the hyperfine fields which can be explained by a rearrangement of the magnetic structure. The field sign has been found to be negative, from which fact a peculiar compensation of the local and hyperfine fields is deduced. The experiment is also indicative of a possible new phase transition at 95 K.     

Determination of copper content in soils and ores by laser-induced breakdown spectrometry

Features of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in potassium vapors at the D₁ line of the ³⁹K isotope are studied. EIT resonances with a subnatural width of 3.5 MHz have been recorded upon excitation by two independent narrow-band diode lasers in a 1-cm-long cell filled with a natural mixture of potassium isotopes and buffer gas. The splitting of EIT resonances in potassium vapors in longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields has been studied for the first time. The splitted components also have a subnatural width. The smallness of the coupling factor of the hyperfine structure in ³⁹K atoms leads to a transition to the Paschen—Back regime at relatively weaker magnetic fields than in the case of Cs, Rb, and Na atoms. Practical applications of the phenomena under study are noted. The theoretical model well explains the experiment.     

Studying the regime of complete decoupling of the bond between the electron and nuclear moments at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript>-line of the <Superscript>39</Superscript>K potassium isotope using a spectroscopic microcell

Atomic transitions of the ³⁹K potassium isotope in strong (up to 1 kG) longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields have been studied with a high spectral resolution. It has been shown that crossover resonances are almost absent in the saturated absorption spectrum of potassium vapors in a 30-μm-thick microcell. This, together with the small spectral width of atomic transitions (~30 MHz), allows one to use the saturated absorption spectrum for determining frequencies and probabilities of individual transitions. Among the alkali metals, potassium atoms have the smallest magnitude of the hyperfine splitting of the lower level. This allows one to observe the break of the coupling between the electronic and nuclear angular momentums at comparatively low magnetic fields B > 500 G, i.e., to implement the hyperfine Paschen–Back regime (HPB). In the HPB regime, four equidistantly positioned transitions with the same amplitude are detected in circularly polarized light (σ⁺). In linearly polarized light (π) at the transverse orientation of the magnetic field, the spectrum consists of eight lines which are grouped in two groups each of which consists of four lines. Each group has a special distinguished G-transition and the transition that is forbidden in the zero magnetic field. In the HPB regime, the probabilities of transitions in a group and derivatives of their frequency shifts with respect to the magnetic field asymptotically tend to magnitudes that are typical for the aforesaid distinguished G-transition. Some practical applications for the used microcell are mentioned.     

Zeeman effect on the hyperfine structure of the D 1 line of a submicron layer of 87Rb vapor

An extremely thin cell with a wedge gap was developed that makes it possible to form a column of Rb atom vapor with thickness in the range from 100 to 600 nm. It is experimentally shown that the use of this cell, along with commercially available diode lasers, allows one to spectrally resolve individual transitions between the Zeeman sublevels of the hyperfine structure of the ⁸⁷Rb D ₁ line (transitions F _g =1, 2→F _e =1, 2) in the resonance fluorescence spectrum in the presence of an external magnetic field (B≈200 G). This makes it possible to realize systems consisting of nondegenerate atomic levels. For comparison, it is shown that transitions between the Zeeman sublevels in the fluorescence spectrum obtained with the aid of a conventional cell (1–10 cm long) in an external magnetic field with B～200 G remain completely masked by the Doppler-broadened profile. The results obtained can be used for the creation of a simple magnetometer based on an extremely thin cell with Rb vapor for the measurement of magnetic fields with a submicron local spatial resolution.     

Study of EIT resonances in an anti-relaxation coated Rb vapor cell

We study the sign of resonances obtained in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). Resonances of both kinds—bright (corresponding to enhanced absorption) and dark (corresponding to reduced absorption)—are obtained when the frequency of a probe beam is scanned. The experimental results, presented earlier, use magnetic sublevels of a hyperfine transition in the D₁ line of ⁸⁷Rb along with a magnetic field of 27 G. The atoms are contained in a vapor cell at room temperature, and with anti-relaxation coating on the walls. A quantitative theoretical model, which reproduces the experimental results quite well, is presented for the first time. The model solves the density matrix of the sublevels involved, and uses two regions—one with both the light and magnetic field, and the second without light and just a magnetic field. This ability to have both bright and dark resonances promises applications in sub- and super-luminal propagation of light.     

Possibility of the use of the magnetic field for creating a quantum filter on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis><Subscript>1</Subscript><Superscript>87</Superscript>Rb line

The possibility of the use of the F = 2?F = 1 transition of the D ₁ absorption line of the ⁸⁷Rb atom for creating of a single-photon quantum filter based on coherent population trapping (CPT) has been analyzed. It has been shown that the external magnetic field is necessary for ensuring the creation of the quantum filter on boson isotopes of alkali atoms. The field strength should be enough for the manifestation of the splitting of the Zeeman CPT resonances that is much larger than their spectral widths. The splittings of the CPT resonances, which characterize the nonlinearity of the Zeeman effect, have been measured for the ⁸⁷Rb atom and the possibility of the use of this system for the quantum filter is concluded.     

Use of sub-Doppler optical resonances for measurement of weak magnetic fields by means of extremely thin rubidium vapor cell

We study experimentally and theoretically D ₁ lines of ⁸⁵Rb and ⁸⁷Rb atoms and show that using atomic-velocity-selective optical resonances which are formed in the transmission spectrum of an atomic rubidium-filled submicron cell at single pass of linearly polarized laser radiation, it is possible to measure weak magnetic fields beginning with 5 G. Having in mind the results obtained earlier with use of also submicron cell with ⁸⁷Rb (D ₁ line) and circularly polarized laser radiation, the entire range of measurable magnetic fields (both homogeneous and inhomogeneous) becomes 5–5000 G.     

Spin-canting and transverse relaxation in maghemite nanoparticles and in tin-doped maghemite

The magnetic properties of maghemite nanoparticles and tin-doped maghemite have been studied by ⁵⁷Fe and ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy at temperatures from 6 to 300 K with and without applied magnetic fields. The low-temperature ⁵⁷Fe spectra of both samples, obtained in a field of 4 T, can be described in terms of A-site and B-site components with perfect ferrimagnetic order and a strongly canted component, which seems to have its main contribution from B-site ions. At higher temperatures, the components with strong canting are influenced by transverse relaxation, which results in significant line broadening, a reduction of the magnetic hyperfine splitting and a reduction in the relative areas of lines 2 and 5. The ¹¹⁹Sn spectra show a very broad distribution of magnetic hyperfine fields at low temperatures. When the sample was exposed to applied magnetic fields the distribution became narrower. The spectra show that the direction of the hyperfine field of a large fraction of the tin ions in maghemite is antiparallel to the applied field, but a minor fraction of the tin ions have canted hyperfine fields.     

A study of dark resonance splitting for the D 1 line of 87Rb in strong magnetic fields

The process of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is studied using an extremely thin cell with thickness of a vapor column of rubidium atoms L = 794 nm. Wavelengths of resonant laser beams ?? ?? 794 nm. Results of the study of behavior of the EIT resonance (which is also called the ??dark?? resonance) formed in the ?? system of the D ₁ line of ⁸⁷Rb atoms in strong magnetic fields up to 1700 G (0.17 T) are reported for the first time. Three dark resonances are recorded in magnetic fields with induction B < 300 G, two resonances are recorded at B > 650 G, and only one dark resonance is retained at B > 1200 G. A method of the formation of a dark resonance at a given frequency is demonstrated that will allow, under the corresponding conditions, the formation of a dark resonance also at B > 0.2 T. The experimental results are well described by the known theoretical models. Practical applications of these results are indicated.     

A study of the magnetic moments and Fe site hyperfine fields in iron-chromium alloys

The magnetization of Fe-Cr alloys ranging from 1 to 15 atomic % of Cr has been measured at room temperature in order to study the relationship between the Fe site hyperfine fields and the magnetic moment. The average moment decreases linearly, at a rate of -2.36 μ_B per Cr atom, up to 10% Cr concentration. The Fe site hyperfine fields were measured in a previous study¹ using the same samples. It is found that the hyperfine fields measured are not proportional to the corresponding magnetic moments. The results are interpreted using a model previously developed for other binary alloys of iron².     

Implementation of a double-scanning technique for studies of the Hanle effect in rubidium vapor

We have studied the resonance fluorescence of a room-temperature rubidium vapor exited to the atomic ⁵P_3/2 state (D₂ line) by powerful single-frequency cw laser radiation (1.25 W/cm²) in the presence of a magnetic field. In these studies, the slow, linear scanning of the laser frequency across the hyperfine transitions of the D₂ line is combined with a fast linear scanning of the applied magnetic field, which allows us to record frequency-dependent Hanle resonances from all the groups of hyperfine transitions including V- and Λ-type systems. Rate equations were used to simulate fluorescence signals for ⁸⁵Rb due to circularly polarized exciting laser radiation with different mean frequency values and laser intensity values. The simulation show a dependence of the fluorescence on the magnetic field. The Doppler effect was taken into account by averaging the calculated signals over different velocity groups. Theoretical calculations give a width of the signal peak in good agreement with experiment.     

Sublevel spectroscopy of alkali atoms in superfluid helium

We report the results of optical pumping and optical detection of magnetic resonance of alkali atoms (Cs and Rb) in superfluid helium. The magnetic resonances between the ground-state Zeeman sublevels and hyperfine levels are observed through monitoring theD ₁ fluorescence by means of the optical-rf double resonance technique. Although the ground stateg values in superfluid helium are the same as in vacuum within the experimental error, the hyperfine constant of the ground state of the Cs atom in superfluid helium is found to be slightly larger than in vacuum. Coherent transient spectroscopy is also performed.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance on oriented76,77,82Br in Fe

Nuclear magnetic resonance on oriented^76,77,82BrFe has been measured using recoil-implanted samples. The magnetic hyperfine splitting frequency of⁸²BrFe in a zero external magnetic field has been determined to be 201.90(3) MHz. The resonances of⁷⁶BrFe and⁷⁷BrFe were also observed in an external magnetic field of 0.2 T asv(⁷⁶BrFe)=340.9(3) MHz andv(⁷⁷BrFe)=403.5(2) MHz. With the known values of theg-factors, the hyperfine fields have been deduced:B _HF(⁸²BrFe)=81.397(27) T,B _HF(⁷⁶BrFe)=81.38(7) T. Theg-factor of⁷⁷Br was determined to be |0.6487(4)|.     

Magnetic order observed in Er6Mn23H21 using the Mössbauer effect

The ferrimagnetic compound Er₆Mn₂₃ and its hydride Er₆Mn₂₃H₂₁ have been investigated using the ¹⁶⁶Er and ⁵⁷Fe (as dilute impurity) Mössbauer resonances. For the hydride a small ⁵⁷Fe magnetic hyperfine field is observed below 85 K indicating magnetic ordering. This observation is contrary to the previous assumption that the Mn sublattice must be non-magnetic. The ¹⁶⁶Er results demonstrate that the Er³⁺ magnetic moment is not “quenched” by crystal electric fields on hydrogenation.     

Magnetic control of the interaction in ultracold K-Rb mixtures

We predict the presence of several magnetic Feshbach resonances in selected Zeeman sublevels of the isotopic pairs 40K-87Rb and 41K-87Rb at magnetic fields up to 10(3) G. Positions and widths are determined combining a new measurement of the 40K-87Rb inelastic cross section with recent experimental results on both isotopes. The possibility of driving a K-Rb mixture from the weak to the strong interacting regime tuning the applied field should allow one to achieve the optimal conditions for boson-induced Cooper pairing in a multicomponent 40K-87Rb atomic gas and for the production of ultracold polar molecules.     

Velocity selective optical pumping and repumping effects with counter and copropagating laser radiations for D<Subscript>2</Subscript> lines of rubidium

The effects of a strong control or pump laser, counter propagating or copropagating with the probe beam, on the probe absorption spectra of ⁸⁵Rb and ⁸⁷Rb-D₂ transitions have been investigated inside a room temperature Rb vapour cell. In both cases a set of strong velocity selective resonance dips are observed at different velocities. Their movements across the Doppler broadened probe absorption profile have been studied for different lock frequencies of the control laser. These spectra are modified by optical pumping effects due to the presence of another hyperfine component of the ground state. A repumping laser, from the dark hyperfine component of the ground level transfers almost 75% of the atoms from the dark state to the pump probe cycle hence reducing the optical pumping effect. A numerical simulation is done to explain the observed spectra. The effect of a control laser on the Lamb dip spectrum of the probe laser has also been investigated. The control beam is used to improve the strength of a weak hyperfine dip on the Doppler broadened probe spectrum. The strength of the hyperfine dip increases by a factor of 3.2 in presence of the control laser. The observed dips show that pump-probe spectroscopy can be used as velocity selectors of atoms.     

On the role of combined static hyperfine interactions for the interpretation of in-beam nuclear Larmor-precession measurements

Differential perturbed angular-distribution measurements have been performed for¹⁰⁷Cd and¹⁰⁹Cd in silver hosts. The data have been obtained at various target temperatures with and wthout applied magnetic fields. The theory of static, combined electric and magnetic hyperfine interaction has been applied for comparison of the zero-field quadrupole data and the external field Larmor-precession data.It is concluded that this combined interaction of the external magnetic field and the damage-induced, electric field gradients quantitatively accounts for the observed dependence of Larmor-precession amplitudes on time, temperature and field strength. The significance of the experimental time range for the appearance and thus for the interpretation of this dependence is demonstrated.     

Optical pumping of the Zeeman components in the rubidium vapor

We investigated the optical pumping of the Zeeman components of rubidium atoms, in the presence of the external magnetic field ranging from the geomagnetic up to 130 Gauss. Using the saturated absorption spectroscopy with linearly polarized pump and probe laser beams, the rubidium Doppler-free spectra at different magnetic field strengths were measured. The dips (negative intensity signals) in the saturated absorption spectra of the ⁸⁷Rb hyperfine transition lines were observed. They come as a result of the alignment process induced by the incoherent population transfer due to the hyperfine optical pumping. By inspection of the dips for different magnetic field strengths we were able to conclude about the dynamics of the alignment process in the external magnetic field. Present work is a part of the investigations concerning the influence of the magnetic field on the velocity selective optical pumping of the rubidium atoms induced by femtosecond frequency comb [D. Aumiler, T. Ban, H. Skenderovi?, G. Pichler, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95 (2005) 233001; T. Ban, D. Aumiler, H. Skenderovi?, G. Pichler, Phys. Rev. A 73 (2006) 043407].     

Anomalous temperature dependence of the magnetic hyperfine field of99Ru in gadolinium

The magnetic hyperfine field at dilute⁹⁹Ru impurities in ferromagnetic Gd has been investigated as a function of temperature by time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) measurements. The saturation field at 11 K is H_hf(Ru Gd)=51(2) KOe. This value fits well into the systematics of 4d impurity hyperfine fields in Gd. The magnetic hyperfine field of RuGd does not follow the magnetization of the host (T_c=290 K) but vanishes abruptly at about 70 K. A similar behaviour has previously been observed for the 5d impurity Os in Gd. From first TDPAC measurements of the hyperfine interactions in the intermetallic phases of the Ru-Sc system it can not be completely ruled out that the observed collapse of the hyperfine field at 70 K is due to the formation of the intermetallic compound RuGd₃.This work has been supported by the Minister für Wissenschaft und Forschung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen