Search

The spectra of highly excited 40Ca atoms prepared using a magneto-optical trap and an ultraviolet laser are experimentally studied. The dependence of the atomic density in the magneto-optical trap on the detuning frequency of cooling radiation and on the magnetic field gradient is determined. By using the technique based on the reduction of resonance fluorescence, the energy of the 761S0 Rydberg state for 40Ca atoms is determined. A new scheme for stabilization of the laser frequency to create highly excited Rydberg atoms is demonstrated. This scheme employs the saturated absorption spectrum in a cell with rubidium atomic gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied a time response of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a rubidium vapor to a rapid variation of optical phase. We have observed a very fast growth of the absorption when the phase of the optical field has been abruptly changed, followed by a slow return to the level of steady-state absorption. The recovery time decreases with increasing optical power. A simple theoretical analysis shows that under our experimental conditions the low power limit of the recovery time is determined by the ground relaxation time. In our case it is defined by a time-of-flight of rubidium atoms through laser beam. The obtained value of the ground state relaxation time is in a good agreement with result of direct measurements by 'relaxation in the dark' method. Our technique based on phase dynamics in EIT can be used for investigation of the ground state relaxation and the fast control of EIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We observe transmission of the radiation of a diode laser in the mode-locked regime through the cell containing optically dense Rb vapor under the condition where the hyperfine splitting of Rb is a multiple of the modulation frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the selective reflection from the interface between a dense rubidium (Rb) atomic vapor and a transparent dielectric. A remarkable narrowing of the spectrum, which can be used to improve the resolution of spectroscopy of dense media, has been demonstrated. This narrowing results from the reduction of the dipole–dipole interaction between atoms when the Rb vapor is excited by a strong pump laser. By using this technique, we have resolved the hyperfine structure of the Rb D2 line, which is hidden by collisional broadening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]