Radio-frequency induced Autler-Townes Effect for single- and double-photon magnetic-dipole transitions in the Cesium ground state

Abstract

We have observed the Autler-Townes effect in single- and suspected double-photon magnetic-dipole transitions in the Cesium ground-state magnetic-sublevel manifold. Experiments were performed in a Cesium vapor cell. The D$_1$ line was excited by laser radiation to create ground-state optical polarization, and transitions between the ground-state magnetic sublevels were excited by radio-frequency (RF) radiation. Two different excitation geometries were studied: in one case the electric field vector of the linearly polarized laser radiation was parallel to the static magnetic field, whereas in the other case these vectors were perpendicular. The oscillating magnetic field produced by the RF coils was in the plane perpendicular to the electric field vector of the laser radiation. The Autler-Townes effect was confirmed by its linear dependence on the RF magnetic field amplitude, which is proportional to the Rabi frequency, in the case of single-photon transitions. We also observed peaks that by their position appeared to correspond to double and even triple photon transitions, which were more pronounced when the DC magnetic field and optical electric field vectors were perpendicular. In the peak at an energy that corresponds to two photons, splitting with a quadratic dependence on the RF magnetic field amplitude could be observed. The experimental measurements are supplemented by theoretical calculations of a model $J=1 \longrightarrow J=0$ system.