27 research outputs found
Selective addressing of high-rank atomic polarization moments
We describe a method of selective generation and study of polarization
moments of up to the highest rank possible for a quantum state with
total angular momentum . The technique is based on nonlinear magneto-optical
rotation with frequency-modulated light. Various polarization moments are
distinguished by the periodicity of light-polarization rotation induced by the
atoms during Larmor precession and exhibit distinct light-intensity and
frequency dependences. We apply the method to study polarization moments of
Rb atoms contained in a vapor cell with antirelaxation coating. Distinct
ultra-narrow (1-Hz wide) resonances, corresponding to different multipoles,
appear in the magnetic-field dependence of the optical rotation. The use of the
highest-multipole resonances has important applications in quantum and
nonlinear optics and in magnetometry.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure
Resonant nonlinear magneto-optical effects in atoms
In this article, we review the history, current status, physical mechanisms,
experimental methods, and applications of nonlinear magneto-optical effects in
atomic vapors. We begin by describing the pioneering work of Macaluso and
Corbino over a century ago on linear magneto-optical effects (in which the
properties of the medium do not depend on the light power) in the vicinity of
atomic resonances, and contrast these effects with various nonlinear
magneto-optical phenomena that have been studied both theoretically and
experimentally since the late 1960s. In recent years, the field of nonlinear
magneto-optics has experienced a revival of interest that has led to a number
of developments, including the observation of ultra-narrow (1-Hz)
magneto-optical resonances, applications in sensitive magnetometry, nonlinear
magneto-optical tomography, and the possibility of a search for parity- and
time-reversal-invariance violation in atoms.Comment: 51 pages, 23 figures, to appear in Rev. Mod. Phys. in Oct. 2002,
Figure added, typos corrected, text edited for clarit