Biaxial spatial orientation of atomic angular momentum
- 1 March 1999
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review A
- Vol. 59 (3) , R1738-R1741
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.59.r1738
Abstract
We experimentally create and theoretically explain a different type of highly anisotropic atomic angular-momentum distribution with two preferential axes. Such a biaxial spatial orientation is created by optical pumping with elliptically polarized light, and measured by the observation of coherent population trapping in a weak external magnetic field. We probe the angular-momentum distribution by the Hanle configuration, and observe two dark resonances at nonzero magnetic fields—the expected signature of the biaxial spatial geometry. A direct method for preparing arbitrarily oriented atomic ensembles is discussed.Keywords
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