V. L. Velichansky

Intracavity electromagnetically induced transparency.

The effect of intracavity electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) on the properties of optical resonators and active laser devices is discussed theoretically. Pronounced frequency pulling and cavity-linewidth narrowing are predicted. The EIT effect can be used to reduce classical and quantum-phase noise of the beat note of an optical oscillator substantially. Fundamental limits of this stabilization mechanism as well as its potential application to high-resolution spectroscopy are discussed.

On the unique possibility of significantly increasing the contrast of dark resonances on the D1 line of 87Rb

We propose and study, theoretically and experimentally, a new scheme of excitation of a coherent population trapping resonance for the D1 line of alkali atoms with nuclear spin I = 3/2 by bichromatic linearly polarized light (lin‖lin field) under the conditions of spectral resolution of the excited state. The unique properties of this scheme result in a high contrast of dark resonance for the D1 line of 87Rb.

Atomic vapor cells for miniature frequency references

We report on the fabrication of millimeter-sized vapor cells and their performance in atomic clocks based on coherent population trapping (CPT). We discuss two fabrication techniques. The first one is based on hollow-core pyrex fibers, fused with a CO/sub 2/ laser or micro-torch, and the second one involves anodic bonding of micro-machined silicon wafers to pyrex. Key aspects of the discussion are the performance of the cell in frequency references, the potential for further miniaturization of the cells and the ability to manufacture them on a large scale with reproducible performance.

Electron spin manipulation and readout through an optical fiber

The electron spin of nitrogen--vacancy (NV) centers in diamond offers a solid-state quantum bit and enables high-precision magnetic-field sensing on the nanoscale. Implementation of these approaches in a fiber format would offer unique opportunities for a broad range of technologies ranging from quantum information to neuroscience and bioimaging. Here, we demonstrate an ultracompact fiber-optic probe where a diamond microcrystal with a well-defined orientation of spin quantization NV axes is attached to the fiber tip, allowing the electron spins of NV centers to be manipulated, polarized, and read out through a fiber-optic waveguide integrated with a two-wire microwave transmission line. The microwave field transmitted through this line is used to manipulate the orientation of electron spins in NV centers through the electron-spin resonance tuned by an external magnetic field. The electron spin is then optically initialized and read out, with the initializing laser radiation and the photoluminescence spin-readout return from NV centers delivered by the same optical fiber.

High-contrast dark resonances on the D1 line of alkali metals in the field of counterpropagating waves

A new method providing a significant increase in the amplitude and contrast of dark resonances is proposed. The method is based on the use of the σ+−σ− configuration of polarized counterpropagating waves, D1-line excitation in alkali metal atoms, and small-sized cells. Qualitative considerations of the scheme are confirmed by the results of numerical calculations. A variant of a standing wave with homogeneous circular polarization is also discussed.

Fiber-optic magnetic-field imaging

We demonstrate a scanning fiber-optic probe for magnetic-field imaging where nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers are coupled to an optical fiber integrated with a two-wire microwave transmission line. The electron spin of NV centers in a diamond microcrystal attached to the tip of the fiber probe is manipulated by a frequency-modulated microwave field and is initialized by laser radiation transmitted through the optical tract of the fiber probe. The two-dimensional profile of the magnetic field is imaged with a high speed and high sensitivity using the photoluminescence spin-readout return from NV centers, captured and delivered by the same optical fiber.

Experimental investigation of the dark pseudoresonance on the D1 line of the 87Rb atom excited by a linearly polarized field

The measurements of the metrological characteristics (amplitude, width, and shift in the magnetic field) of the dark pseudoresonance, which was proposed by Kazakov et al. [quant-ph/0506167] as the reference resonance for an atomic frequency standard, are reported. It has been shown that the characteristics of the pseudoresonance are worse than those of the unsplit electromagnetically induced transparency resonance for the excitation scheme with the lin‖lin polarization on the D1 line of the 87Rb atom.

Features of Magneto-Optical Resonances in an Elliptically Polarized Traveling Light Wave

The parameters of nonlinear absorption magneto-optical resonances in the Hanle configuration have been studied as functions of the ellipticity of a traveling light wave. It has been found that these parameters (amplitude, width, and amplitude-to-width ratio) depend strongly on the polarization of the light wave. In particular, the resonance amplitude can increase by more than an order of magnitude when the polarization changes from linear to optimal elliptic. It has been shown that this effect is associated with the Doppler frequency shift for atoms in a gas. The theoretical results have been corroborated in experiments in Rb vapor.

Fiber-based thermometry using optically detected magnetic resonance

Fiber-optic probes coupled with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond and integrated with a microwave transmission line are shown to enable fiber-format optical thermometry. Temperature measurements with an accuracy of 0.02 K are performed by combining this NV-diamond fiber thermometer with a properly optimized differential lock-in detection technique.

Fiber-optic magnetometry with randomly oriented spins

We demonstrate fiber-optic magnetometry using a random ensemble of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamond coupled to a tapered optical fiber, which provides a waveguide delivery of optical fields for the initialization, polarization, and readout of the electron spin in NV centers.