Sycz Krystian, Wojciechowski Adam M, Gawlik Wojciech
M. Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Prof. Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348, Kraków, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 12;8(1):2805. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-20522-x.
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.
我们报告了冷原子叠加态的创建、观测和优化。在我们的实验中，铷原子被制备在磁光阱中，随后，在关闭捕获场之后，利用弱探测光束的法拉第旋转来表征通过施加适当的光脉冲和外部磁场制备的原子态。我们讨论了原子自旋态的极化和排列特征，确定了导致原子数及其相干性恶化的主要因素，并提出了优化这些因素的方法，如采用选通探测在暗处弛豫。这些结果可用于冷原子样品的可控制备以及静态和瞬态场的原位磁力测量。
