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arXiv · 1403.7545

All-Optical Vector Atomic Magnetometer

B. Patton·E. Zhivun·D. C. Hovde·D. Budker
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Abstract

We demonstrate an all-optical magnetometer capable of measuring the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field using nonlinear magneto-optical rotation in a cesium vapor. Vector capability is added by effective modulation of the field along orthogonal axes and subsequent demodulation of the magnetic-resonance frequency. This modulation is provided by the AC Stark shift induced by circularly polarized laser beams. The sensor exhibits a demonstrated rms noise floor of 50 fT/Hz^(1/2) in measurement of the field magnitude and 0.5 mrad/Hz^(1/2) in the field direction; elimination of technical noise would improve these sensitivities to 12 fT/Hz^(1/2) and 5 microrad/Hz^(1/2), respectively. Applications for a precise all-optical vector magnetometer would include magnetically sensitive fundamental physics experiments, such as the search for a permanent electric dipole moment of the neutron.

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B. Patton, E. Zhivun, D. C. Hovde, D. Budker. 2014-03-28. All-Optical Vector Atomic Magnetometer. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.113.013001

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