Sign reversal of Hanle electromagnetically induced absorption with orthogonal circularly polarized optical fields

• Published in: Journal of physics. B, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 43; no. 24; p. 245503
• Main Authors: Ram, Nibedita, Pattabiraman, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 28.12.2010; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Atomic and molecular physics; Atomic properties and interactions with photons; Circularity; Computation; Coupling (molecular); Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Iron; Joining; Magnetic fields; Magnetic resonance; Optics; Physics; Quantum optics; Strong-field excitation of optical transitions in quantum systems; multi-photon processes; dynamic stark shift; Zeeman and stark effects; High field; Quantum optics; Hanle effect; Circular polarization; Electromagnetically induced absorption
• ISSN: 0953-4075; 1361-6455
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-4075/43/24/245503

We study by computation and experiment an electromagnetically induced absorption resonance in the Hanle configuration with a transverse magnetic field on a closed Fg -> Fe = Fg+1 transition with co-propagating orthogonal circularly polarized probe and coupling optical fields. At high coupling field intensities, the Hanle resonance changes sign due to a shift in atomic population from Zeeman sublevels associated with a probe field cyclic transition to sublevels associated with a coupling field cyclic transition at zero magnetic field. We also show that a similar sign reversal does not occur for Delta *p-polarized and Delta *s-polarized coupling fields.