2018/01/31 by Krystian Sycz, Adam M. Wojciechowski, Wojciech Gawlik · 9 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Subatomic Physics Research #Atomic coherence #Coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #Faraday effect #Laser linewidth #Magnetometer #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Rubidium #Superposition principle #Trapping #physics.atom-ph #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-20522-x
published in Scientific Reports 8(1), 2805 (Nature Portfolio) · 15 pages and 9 figures (including supplementary information)
arxiv created 2018/02/02 · openalex publication_date 2018/02/06 · arxiv updated 2018/02/13 · openalex created_date 2018/02/23 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We report on the creation, observation and optimization of superposition states of cold atoms. In our experiments, rubidium atoms are prepared in a magneto-optical trap and later, after switching off the trapping fields, Faraday rotation of a weak probe beam is used to characterize atomic states prepared by application of appropriate light pulses and external magnetic fields. We discuss the signatures of polarization and alignment of atomic spin states and identify main factors responsible for deterioration of the atomic number and their coherence and present means for their optimization, like relaxation in the dark with the strobed probing. These results may be used for controlled preparation of cold atom samples and in situ magnetometry of static and transient fields.