TY - JOUR

T1 - Broadening and intensity redistribution in the Na(3p) hyperfine excitation spectra due to optical pumping in the weak excitation limit

AU - Sydoryk, I.

AU - Bezuglov, N. N.

AU - Beterov, I. I.

AU - Miculis, K.

AU - Saks, E.

AU - Janovs, A.

AU - Spels, P.

AU - Ekers, A.

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Detailed analysis of spectral line broadening and variations in relative intensities of hyperfine spectral components due to optical pumping is presented. Hyperfine levels of sodium 3p1/2 and 3p3/2 levels are selectively excited in a supersonic beam at various laser intensities under the conditions when optical pumping time is shorter than transit time of atoms through the laser beam. The excitation spectra exhibit significant line broadening at laser intensities well below the saturation intensity, and redistribution of intensities of hyperfine spectral components is observed, which in some cases is contradicting with intuitive expectations. Theoretical analysis of the dynamics of optical pumping shows that spectral line broadening sensitively depends on the branching coefficient of the laser-driven transition. Analytical expressions for branching ratio dependent critical Rabi frequency and critical laser intensity are derived, which give the threshold for onset of noticeable line broadening by optical pumpi

AB - Detailed analysis of spectral line broadening and variations in relative intensities of hyperfine spectral components due to optical pumping is presented. Hyperfine levels of sodium 3p1/2 and 3p3/2 levels are selectively excited in a supersonic beam at various laser intensities under the conditions when optical pumping time is shorter than transit time of atoms through the laser beam. The excitation spectra exhibit significant line broadening at laser intensities well below the saturation intensity, and redistribution of intensities of hyperfine spectral components is observed, which in some cases is contradicting with intuitive expectations. Theoretical analysis of the dynamics of optical pumping shows that spectral line broadening sensitively depends on the branching coefficient of the laser-driven transition. Analytical expressions for branching ratio dependent critical Rabi frequency and critical laser intensity are derived, which give the threshold for onset of noticeable line broadening by optical pumpi

U2 - DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.77.042511

DO - DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.77.042511

M3 - Article

VL - 77

SP - 042511_1-10

JO - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

JF - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

SN - 1050-2947

IS - 4

ER -