No Arabic abstract
We report the experimental observation of the rotation of the polarization plane of light propagating in a gas of fast-spinning molecules (molecular super-rotors). In the observed effect, related to Fermis prediction of polarization drag by a rotating medium, the vector of linear polarization tilts in the direction of molecular rotation due to the rotation-induced difference in the refractive indices for the left and right circularly polarized components. We use an optical centrifuge to bring the molecules in a gas sample to ultrafast unidirectional rotation and measure the polarization drag angles of the order of 0.2 milliradians in a number of gases under ambient conditions. We demonstrate an all-optical control of the drag magnitude and direction, and investigate the robustness of the mechanical Faraday effect with respect to molecular collisions.
It is proposed to employ the P,T-odd Faraday effect, i.e. rotation of the polarization plane of the light propagating through a medium in presence of the electric field, as a tool for observation of P,T-odd effects caused by CP violation within the Standard Model. For this purpose the vapors of heavy atoms like Tl, Pb, Bi are most suitable. Estimates within the Standard Model show: provided that applied field is about 10^5 V/cm and the optical length can be as large as 70000 km, the rotation angle may reach the value corresponding to the recently observable values (10^{-9} rad). These estimates demonstrate that the P,T-odd Faraday effect observations may effectively compete with the recent measurements of the electron spin rotation in an external electric field, performed with diatomic molecules. These measurements exclude the P,T-odd effects at the level 9 orders of magnitude higher than the predictions of the Standard Model.
When a gas of ultracold atoms is suddenly illuminated by light that is nearly resonant with an atomic transition, the atoms cannot respond instantaneously. This non-instantaneous response means the gas is initially more transparent to the applied light than in steady-state. The timescale associated with the development of light absorption is set by the atomic excited state lifetime. Similarly, the index of refraction in the gas also requires time to reach a steady-state value, but the development of the associated phase response is expected to be slower than absorption effects. Faraday rotation is one manifestation of differing indices of refraction for orthogonal circular light polarization components. We have performed experiments measuring the time-dependent development of polarization rotation in an ultracold gas subjected to a magnetic field. Our measurements match theoretical predictions based on solving optical Bloch equations. We are able to identify how parameters such as steady-state optical thickness and applied magnetic field strength influence the development of Faraday rotation.
Accurate evaluation of the $mathcal{P}$,$mathcal{T}$-odd Faraday effect (rotation of the polarization plane for the light propagating through a medium in presence of an external electric field) is presented. This effect can arise only due to the $mathcal{P}$,$mathcal{T}$-odd interactions and is different from the ordinary Faraday effect, i.e. the light polarization plane rotation in an external magnetic field. The rotation angle is evaluated for the ICAS (intracavity absorption spectroscopy) type experiments with Xe and Hg atoms. The results show that Hg atom may become a good candidate for a search for the $mathcal{P}$,$mathcal{T}$-odd effects in atomic physics.
In this work, sidebands suppression brought by buffer gas argon (Ar) in cesium Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) at 852 nm is investigated. FADOF performances at different Ar pressures (0 torr, 1 torr, 5 torr and 10 torr) are compared, and a single-peak transmittance spectrum with peak transmittance up to 80% is achieved at the high Ar pressure. A detailed analysis shows that, this sidebands suppression comes from the depopulation enhancement by the buffer gas. This result can be generalized to other FADOFs with similar level structures such as the D2 lines of other alkali metal atoms.
The ability to control and tune interactions in ultracold atomic gases has paved the way towards the realization of new phases of matter. Whereas experiments have so far achieved a high degree of control over short-ranged interactions, the realization of long-range interactions would open up a whole new realm of many-body physics and has become a central focus of research. Rydberg atoms are very well-suited to achieve this goal, as the van der Waals forces between them are many orders of magnitude larger than for ground state atoms. Consequently, the mere laser excitation of ultracold gases can cause strongly correlated many-body states to emerge directly when atoms are transferred to Rydberg states. A key example are quantum crystals, composed of coherent superpositions of different spatially ordered configurations of collective excitations. Here we report on the direct measurement of strong correlations in a laser excited two-dimensional atomic Mott insulator using high-resolution, in-situ Rydberg atom imaging. The observations reveal the emergence of spatially ordered excitation patterns in the high-density components of the prepared many-body state. They have random orientation, but well defined geometry, forming mesoscopic crystals of collective excitations delocalised throughout the gas. Our experiment demonstrates the potential of Rydberg gases to realise exotic phases of matter, thereby laying the basis for quantum simulations of long-range interacting quantum magnets.