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

We demonstrate---experimentally and theoretically---that resonances obtained in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) can be both bright and dark. The experiments are done using magnetic sublevels of a hyperfine transition in the D$_1$ line of $^{87}$Rb. The degeneracy of the sublevels is removed by having a magnetic field of value 27 G. The atoms are contained in a room-temperature vapor cell with anti-relaxation coating on the walls. Theoretical analysis based on a two-region model reproduces the experimental spectrum quite well. This ability to have both bright and dark resonances promises applications in sub- and super-luminal propagation of light, and sensitive magnetometry.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figure

Selective reflection spectroscopy of a vapour at a calcium fluoride interface

Fluoride materials exhibit surface resonances located in the thermal infrared. This makes them interesting to search for a fundamental temperature dependence of the atom-surface interaction, originating in the near-field thermal emissivity of the surface. Preliminary selective reflection experiments performed on a special Cs vapour cell that includes a CaF2 interface show a temperature dependence, yet to be analyzedComment: selected to appear in Annales de Physique- COLOQ 1

Hyperfine Paschen-Back regime realized in Rb nanocell

A simple and efficient scheme based on one-dimensional nanometric thin cell filled with Rb and strong permanent ring magnets allowed direct observation of hyperfine Paschen-Back regime on D1 line in 0.5 - 0.7 T magnetic field. Experimental results are perfectly consistent with the theory. In particular, with sigma+ laser excitation, the slopes of B-field dependence of frequency shift for all the 10 individual transitions of 85,87Rb are the same and equal to 18.6 MHz/mT. Possible applications for magnetometry with submicron spatial resolution and tunable atomic frequency references are discussed.Comment: 3 page