5 research outputs found
Conversion of bright magneto-optical resonances into dark at fixed laser frequency for D2 excitation of atomic rubidium
Nonlinear magneto-optical resonances on the hyperfine transitions belonging
to the D2 line of rubidium were changed from bright to dark resonances by
changing the laser power density of the single exciting laser field or by
changing the vapor temperature in the cell. In one set of experiments atoms
were excited by linearly polarized light from an extended cavity diode laser
with polarization vector perpendicular to the light's propagation direction and
magnetic field, and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) was observed along the
direction of the magnetic field, which was scanned. A low-contrast bright
resonance was observed at low laser power densities when the laser was tuned to
the Fg=2 --> Fe=3 transition of Rb-87 and near to the Fg=3 --> Fe=4 transition
of Rb-85. The bright resonance became dark as the laser power density was
increased above 0.6mW/cm2 or 0.8 mW/cm2, respectively. When the Fg=2 --> Fe=3
transition of Rb-87 was excited with circularly polarized light in a second set
of experiments, a bright resonance was observed, which became dark when the
temperature was increased to around 50C. The experimental observations at room
temperature could be reproduced with good agreement by calculations based on a
theoretical model, although the theoretical model was not able to describe
measurements at elevated temperatures, where reabsorption was thought to play a
decisive role. The model was derived from the optical Bloch equations and
included all nearby hyperfine components, averaging over the Doppler profile,
mixing of magnetic sublevels in the external magnetic field, and a treatment of
the coherence properties of the exciting radiation field.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure