Atomic photoexcitation as a tool for probing purity of twisted light modes

authored by: R. P. Schmidt, S. Ramakrishna, A. A. Peshkov, N. Huntemann, E. Peik, S. Fritzsche, A. Surzhykov
Abstract: The twisted light modes used in modern atomic physics experiments can be contaminated by small admixtures of plane-wave radiation. Although these admixtures hardly reveal themselves in the beam-intensity profile, they may seriously affect the outcome of high-precision spectroscopy measurements. In the present study we propose a method for diagnosing such a plane-wave contamination which is based on the analysis of the magnetic sublevel population of atoms or ions interacting with the "twisted + plane-wave"radiation. In order to theoretically investigate the sublevel populations, we solve the Liouville-von Neumann equation for the time evolution of the atomic density matrix. The proposed method is illustrated for the electric dipole 5sS1/22-5pP3/22 transition in Rb induced by (linearly, radially, or azimuthally polarized) vortex light with just a small contamination. We find that even tiny admixtures of plane-wave radiation can lead to remarkable variations in the populations of the ground-state magnetic sublevels. This opens up new opportunities for diagnostics of twisted light in atomic spectroscopy experiments.
External Organisation(s): National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB)
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Helmholtz Institute Jena
GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Laboratory for Emerging Nanometrology Braunschweig (LENA)
Type: Article
Journal: Physical Review A
Volume: 109
ISSN: 2469-9926
Publication date: 04.03.2024
Publication status: Published
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.109.033103 (Access: Unknown)

BibTeX

@article{9edc22999d874f83a86c801fe084e29b,
title = "Atomic photoexcitation as a tool for probing purity of twisted light modes",
abstract = "The twisted light modes used in modern atomic physics experiments can be contaminated by small admixtures of plane-wave radiation. Although these admixtures hardly reveal themselves in the beam-intensity profile, they may seriously affect the outcome of high-precision spectroscopy measurements. In the present study we propose a method for diagnosing such a plane-wave contamination which is based on the analysis of the magnetic sublevel population of atoms or ions interacting with the {"}twisted + plane-wave{"}radiation. In order to theoretically investigate the sublevel populations, we solve the Liouville-von Neumann equation for the time evolution of the atomic density matrix. The proposed method is illustrated for the electric dipole 5sS1/22-5pP3/22 transition in Rb induced by (linearly, radially, or azimuthally polarized) vortex light with just a small contamination. We find that even tiny admixtures of plane-wave radiation can lead to remarkable variations in the populations of the ground-state magnetic sublevels. This opens up new opportunities for diagnostics of twisted light in atomic spectroscopy experiments.",
author = "Schmidt, {R. P.} and S. Ramakrishna and Peshkov, {A. A.} and N. Huntemann and E. Peik and S. Fritzsche and A. Surzhykov",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 American Physical Society.",
year = "2024",
month = mar,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1103/PhysRevA.109.033103",
language = "English",
volume = "109",
journal = "Physical Review A",
issn = "2469-9926",
publisher = "American Physical Society",
number = "3",
}