James D. Anstie

Nano-Kelvin thermometry and temperature control: beyond the thermal noise limit

We demonstrate thermometry with a resolution of 80u2009u2009nK/Hz using an isotropic crystalline whispering-gallery mode resonator based on a dichroic dual-mode technique. We simultaneously excite two modes that have a mode frequency ratio that is very close to two (±0.3u2009u2009ppm). The wavelength and temperature dependence of the refractive index means that the frequency difference between these modes is an ultrasensitive proxy of the resonator temperature. This approach to temperature sensing automatically suppresses sensitivity to thermal expansion and vibrationally induced changes of the resonator. We also demonstrate active suppression of temperature fluctuations in the resonator by controlling the intensity of the driving laser. The residual temperature fluctuations are shown to be below the limits set by fundamental thermodynamic fluctuations of the resonator material.

High-efficiency cross-phase modulation in a gas-filled waveguide

Strong cross-Kerr nonlinearities have been long sought after for quantum information applications. Recent work has shown that they are intrinsically unreliable in traveling-wave configurations: cavity configurations avoid this, but require knowledge of both the nonlinearity and the loss. Here we present a detailed systematic study of cross-phase modulation and absorption in an Rb vapor confined within a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Using a two-photon transition, we observe phase modulations of up to pi rad with a signal power of 25 mu W, corresponding to a nonlinear Kerr coefficient, n(2), of 0.8 x 10(-6) cm(2)/W, or 1.3 x 10(-6) rad per photon.

Accurate lineshape spectroscopy and the Boltzmann constant

Spectroscopy has an illustrious history delivering serendipitous discoveries and providing a stringent testbed for new physical predictions, including applications from trace materials detection, to understanding the atmospheres of stars and planets, and even constraining cosmological models. Reaching fundamental-noise limits permits optimal extraction of spectroscopic information from an absorption measurement. Here, we demonstrate a quantum-limited spectrometer that delivers high-precision measurements of the absorption lineshape. These measurements yield a very accurate measurement of the excited-state (6P1/2) hyperfine splitting in Cs, and reveals a breakdown in the well-known Voigt spectral profile. We develop a theoretical model that accounts for this breakdown, explaining the observations to within the shot-noise limit. Our model enables us to infer the thermal velocity dispersion of the Cs vapour with an uncertainty of 35u2009p.p.m. within an hour. This allows us to determine a value for Boltzmanns constant with a precision of 6u2009p.p.m., and an uncertainty of 71u2009p.p.m.

Power-dependent line-shape corrections for quantitative spectroscopy

The Voigt profile—a convolution of a Gaussian and a Lorentzian—accurately describes the absorption lines of atomic and molecular gases at low probe powers. Fitting experimental absorption data to such a Voigt profile yields both the Lorentzian natural linewidth and the Gaussian Doppler broadening. However, as the probe power increases, saturation effects change the absorption line shape, such that it is no longer accurately described by a Voigt profile. Naively fitting a simple Voigt profile to the absorption line therefore introduces spurious power dependence into the extracted Doppler component. Using a simple atomic model, we calculate power-dependent corrections to the Voigt profile, which are parametrized by the Gaussian Doppler width, the Lorentzian natural linewidth, and the optical depth. We show numerically and experimentally that including the correction term substantially reduces the spurious power dependence in the fitted Gaussian width.

Absolute absorption line-shape measurements at the shot-noise limit

Spectroscopy has played the key role in revealing, and thereby understanding, the structure of atoms and molecules. A central drive in this field is the pursuit of higher precision and accuracy so that ever more subtle effects might be discovered. Here, we report on laser absorption spectroscopy that operates at the conventional quantum limit imposed by photon shot-noise. Furthermore, we achieve this limit without compromising the accuracy of the measurement. We demonstrate these properties by recording an absorption profile of cesium vapor at the 2 parts-per-million level. The extremely high signal-to-noise ratio allows us to directly observe the homogeneous lineshape component of the spectral profile, even while in the presence of Doppler broadening that is a factor of 100 times wider. We can do this because we can precisely measure the spectral profile at a frequency detuning more than 200 natural linewidths from the line center. We use the power of this tool to demonstrate direct measurements of a low-intensity optically-induced broadening process that is quite distinct from the well-known power broadening phenomenon.

Hermetic optical-fiber iodine frequency standard

We have built an optical-frequency standard based on interrogating iodine vapor that has been trapped within the hollow core of a hermetically sealed kagome-lattice photonic crystal fiber. A frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser locked to a hyperfine component of the P(142)37-0 I2127 transition using modulation transfer spectroscopy shows a frequency stability of 3×10(-11) at 100 s. We discuss the impediments in integrating this all-fiber standard into a fully optical-fiber-based system, and suggest approaches that could improve performance of the frequency standard substantially.