Probing an Excited-State Atomic Transition Using Hyperfine Quantum Beat Spectroscopy

Wade, C.G.; Sibalic, N.; Keaveney, J.; Adams, C.S.; Weatherill, K.J.

Abstract

We describe a method to observe the dynamics of an excited-state transition in a room-temperature atomic vapor using hyperfine quantum beats. Our experiment using cesium atoms consists of a pulsed excitation of the D2 transition and continuous-wave driving of an excited-state transition from the 6P3/2 state to the 7S1/2 state. We observe quantum beats in the fluorescence from the 6P3/2 state which are modified by the driving of the excited-state transition. The Fourier spectrum of the beat signal yields evidence of Autler-Townes splitting of the 6P3/2, F=5 hyperfine level and Rabi oscillations on the excited-state transition. A detailed model provides qualitative agreement with the data, giving insight to the physical processes involved.

Citation

Wade, C., Sibalic, N., Keaveney, J., Adams, C., & Weatherill, K. (2014). Probing an Excited-State Atomic Transition Using Hyperfine Quantum Beat Spectroscopy. Physical Review A, 90, Article 033424. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.90.033424

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 25, 2014
• Deposit Date: Aug 19, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 26, 2014
• Journal: Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Print ISSN: 1050-2947
• Electronic ISSN: 1094-1622
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 90
• Article Number: 033424
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.90.033424
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1424816