High-contrast dark resonances on the D₁ line in cesium nanocell: the advantages compared with the other alkali D lines

Abstract

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect in a -system formed by Cs atoms line, enclosed in nanometric-thin cells, is studied both experimentally and theoretically for the first time. The atomic column thickness varies in the range of 50–1500 nm. It is demonstrated that when the coupling laser frequency is in exact resonance with the corresponding atomic transition, the parameters of the EIT resonance (also called dark resonance (DR)) depend weakly on , which allows us to detect DR at  nm with the contrast of . The obtained DR parameters are the best as compared with those for Rb and lines and Cs line. The DR contrast and width are studied versus laser frequency detunings, coupling laser power, cell thickness, temperature, and applied external magnetic field. The well-resolved splitting of the DR resonance in a magnetic field for  nm can be used for magnetometry with high spatial resolution. The theoretical model describes well the observed results.

Keywords:

• electromagnetically induced transparency
• dark resonance
• nano-cell
• Cs line
• coherent process
• magnetic field

Additional information

Funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union FP7/2007-2013 under [grant number 295025-IPERA]. This work was partially supported by a Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme: “Coherent optics sensors for medical applications-COSMA” [grant number PIRSES-GA-2012-295264]. Co-authors A.S. and D.S note that this work was also supported by State Committee Science MES RA, in frame of the research project No. SCS 13-1C029. The research was conducted in the scope of the International Associated Laboratory IRMAS (CNRS-France & SCS-Armenia).