Circular Dichroism of RbHe and RbN2_2 Molecules

We present measurements of the circular dichroism of optically pumped Rb vapor near the D1 resonance line. Collisions with the buffer gases $^3$He and N$_2$ reduce the transparency of the vapor, even when fully polarized. We use two methods to measure this effect, show that the He results can be understood from RbHe potential curves, and show how this effect conspires with the spectral profile of the optical pumping light to increase the laser power demands for optical pumping of very optically thick samples

Optical Magnetometer Array for Fetal Magnetocardiography

We describe an array of spin-exchange relaxation free optical magnetometers designed for detection of fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG) signals. The individual magnetometers are configured with a small volume with intense optical pumping, surrounded by a large pump-free region. Spin-polarized atoms that diffuse out of the optical pumping region precess in the ambient magnetic field and are detected by a probe laser. Four such magnetometers, at the corners of a 7 cm square, are configured for gradiometry by feeding back the output of one magnetometer to a field coil to null uniform magnetic field noise at frequencies up to 200 Hz. Using this array, we present the first measurements of fMCG signals using an atomic magnetometer

Breakdown of Angular Momentum Selection Rules in High Pressure Optical Pumping Experiments

We present measurements, using two complementary methods, of the breakdown of atomic angular momentum selection rules in He-broadened Rb vapor. Atomic dark states are rendered weakly absorbing due to fine-structure mixing during Rb-He collisions. The effect substantially increases the photon demand for optical pumping of dense vapors

Solidity of viscous liquids. IV. Density fluctuations

This paper is the fourth in a series exploring the physical consequences of the solidity of highly viscous liquids. It is argued that the two basic characteristics of a flow event (a jump between two energy minima in configuration space) are the local density change and the sum of all particle displacements. Based on this it is proposed that density fluctuations are described by a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation with rates in k-space of the form $\Gamma_0+Dk^2$ with $D\gg\Gamma_0a^2$ where $a$ is the average intermolecular distance. The inequality expresses a long-wavelength dominance of the dynamics which implies that the Hamiltonian (free energy) may be taken to be ultra local. As an illustration of the theory the case with the simplest non-trivial Hamiltonian is solved to second order in the Gaussian approximation, where it predicts an asymmetric frequency dependence of the isothermal bulk modulus with Debye behavior at low frequencies and an $\omega^{-1/2}$ decay of the loss at high frequencies. Finally, a general formalism for the description of viscous liquid dynamics, which supplements the density dynamics by including stress fields, a potential energy field, and molecular orientational fields, is proposed

Magnetocardiography with a modular spin-exchange relaxation free atomic magnetometer array

We present a portable four-channel atomic magnetometer array operating in the spin exchange relaxation-free regime. The magnetometer array has several design features intended to maximize its suitability for biomagnetic measurement, specifically foetal magnetocardiography, such as a compact modular design, and fibre coupled lasers. The modular design allows the independent positioning and orientation of each magnetometer, in principle allowing for non-planar array geometries. Using this array in a magnetically shielded room, we acquire adult magnetocadiograms. These measurements were taken with a 6-11 fT Hz^(-1/2) single-channel baseline sensitivity that is consistent with the independently measured noise level of the magnetically shielded room.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Magic wavelengths for the 5s−18s5s-18s transition in rubidium

Magic wavelengths, for which there is no differential ac Stark shift for the ground and excited state of the atom, allow trapping of excited Rydberg atoms without broadening the optical transition. This is an important tool for implementing quantum gates and other quantum information protocols with Rydberg atoms, and reliable theoretical methods to find such magic wavelengths are thus extremely useful. We use a high-precision all-order method to calculate magic wavelengths for the $5s-18s$ transition of rubidium, and compare the calculation to experiment by measuring the light shift for atoms held in an optical dipole trap at a range of wavelengths near a calculated magic value

A model for the generic alpha relaxation of viscous liquids

Dielectric measurements on molecular liquids just above the glass transition indicate that alpha relaxation is characterized by a generic high-frequency loss varying as $\omega^{-1/2}$, whereas deviations from this come from one or more low-lying beta processes [Olsen et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 86} (2001) 1271]. Assuming that long-wavelength fluctuations dominate the dynamics, a model for the dielectric alpha relaxation based on the simplest coupling between the density and dipole density fields is proposed here. The model, which is solved in second order perturbation theory in the Gaussian approximation, reproduces the generic features of alpha relaxation