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D. S. Elliott

Publications and source records attributed to D. S. Elliott.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Electronic phase-locking for three-color, two-pathway coherent control

We report a new method of two-pathway coherent control using three narrow-band cw laser sources, phase locked in an optical phase-lock loop, to maintain the high degree of optical coherence required for the coherent control process. In addition, we derive expressions for two-photon transition amplitudes and demonstrate their dependence on the polarization of the field components. This phase-locking technique expands the set of interactions to which coherent control techniques may be applied. It also allows for a constant low-frequency offset between the optical interactions, producing a continuous and constant phase ramp between the interactions, facilitating phase-sensitive detection of the modulating atomic signal. We illustrate this technique with two-photon vs.~one-photon excitation of a $ΔF = 1$ component, and alternatively a $ΔF = 0$ component, of the $6s \: ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s \: ^2S_{1/2}$ transition of atomic cesium.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the ratio of the scalar polarizability to the vector polarizability for the $6s ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s ^2S_{1/2}$ transition in cesium

We report measurements of the ratio of the scalar polarizability $α$ to the vector polarizability $β$ for the $6s ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s ^2S_{1/2}$ transition in atomic cesium. These measurements are motivated by a discrepancy between the values of the vector transition polarizability as determined using two separate methods. In the present measurement, we use a two-pathway, coherent-control technique in which we observe the interference between a two-photon interaction driven by infrared light at 1079 nm and a linear Stark-induced interaction driven by the mutually-coherent second harmonic of this infrared beam at 540 nm. The result of our measurements is $α/β= -9.902 \: (9)$, in good agreement with the previous determination of this ratio. This measurement, critical to the study of atomic parity violation in cesium, does not reduce the discrepancy between the two methods for the determination of the vector polarizability $β$ for this transition.

physics.atom-ph

Technique for a direct measurement of the cesium anapole moment using coherent rf and Raman interactions

We report progress toward measurements of the electric dipole (E1) transition moments between hyperfine components of the ground state of atomic cesium. This transition is weakly E1 allowed due to weak interactions between nucleons within the nucleus, which lead to a parity-odd current distribution and its associated anapole moment. In this report, we discuss the experimental geometry of our measurement scheme, explore the effects of extraneous fields that can obscure the signal, present initial measurements, analyze the sources and magnitudes of measurement noise, and suggest improvements to the current apparatus.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the static Stark Shift of the $7s \ ^2S_{1/2}$ level in atomic cesium

We report a new precision measurement of the dc Stark shift of the $6s\hspace{1mm} ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s\hspace{1mm}^2S_{1/2}$ transition in atomic cesium-133. Our result is 0.72246 (29) $\textrm{Hz}(\textrm{V}/\textrm{cm})^{-2}$. This result differs from a previous measurement of the Stark shift by $\sim$0.5\%. We use this value to recalculate the magnitude of the reduced dipole matrix elements $\langle7s ||r||7p_{j}\rangle$, as well as the vector transition polarizability for the $6s \rightarrow 7s$ transition, $\tildeβ = 27.043 \: (36) \ a_0^3$. This determination helps resolve a critical discrepancy between two techniques for determining the vector polarizability.

physics.atom-ph

Feasibility of extracting the proton weak charge from quantum-control measurements of atomic parity violation on the $2s-3s$ or $2s-4s$ transition in hydrogen

We explore the feasibility of extracting electroweak observables from a measurement of atomic parity violation in hydrogen. Our proposed quantum-control scheme focuses on the $2s-3s$ or $2s-4s$ transitions in hydrogen. This work is motivated by the recently observed anomaly in the W-boson mass, which may substantially modify the Standard Model value of the proton weak charge. We also study the accuracy of the previously employed approximations in computing parity-violating effects in hydrogen.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the hyperfine coupling constants and absolute energies of the $8p \ ^2P_{1/2}$ and $8p \ ^2P_{3/2}$ levels in atomic cesium

We report measurements of the hyperfine coupling constant for the $8p \ ^2P_{1/2}$ level of atomic cesium, $^{133}$Cs, with a relative uncertainty of $\sim$0.019\%. Our result is $A = 42.933 \: (8)$ MHz, in good agreement with recent theoretical results. We also examine the hyperfine structure of the $8p \ ^2P_{3/2}$ state, and derive new values for the state energies of the $8p \ ^2P_{1/2}$ and $8p \ ^2P_{3/2}$ states of cesium.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the hyperfine coupling constants and absolute energies of the $12s \ ^2S_{1/2}$, $13s \ ^2S_{1/2}$, and $11d \ ^2D_{J}$ levels in atomic cesium

We report measurements of the absolute energies of the hyperfine components of the $12s \ ^2S_{1/2}$ and $13s \ ^2S_{1/2}$ levels of atomic cesium, $^{133}$Cs. Using the frequency difference between these components, we determine the hyperfine coupling constants for these states, and report these values with a relative uncertainty of $\sim$0.06 %. We also examine the hyperfine structure of the $11d \ ^2D_{J}$ ($J=3/2, 5/2$) states, and resolve the sign ambiguity of the hyperfine coupling constants from previous measurements of these states. We also derive new, high precision values for the state energies of the $12s \ ^2S_{1/2}$, $13s \ ^2S_{1/2}$ and $11d \ ^2D_{J}$ states of cesium.

physics.atom-ph

Determination of the scalar and vector polarizabilities of the cesium $6s \ ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s \ ^2S_{1/2}$ transition and implications for atomic parity non-conservation

Using recent high-precision measurements of electric dipole matrix elements of atomic cesium, we make an improved determination of the scalar ($α$) and vector ($β$) polarizabilities of the cesium $6s \ ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s \ ^2S_{1/2} $ transition calculated through a sum-over-states method. We report values of $α= -268.82 \ (30) \ a_0^3$ and $β= 27.139 \ (42) \ a_0^3$ with the highest precision to date. We find a discrepancy between our value of $β$ and the past preferred value, resulting in a significant shift in the value of the weak charge $Q_w$ of the cesium nucleus. Future work to resolve the differences in the polarizability will be critical for interpretation of parity non-conservation measurements in cesium, which have implications for physics beyond the Standard Model.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the radial matrix elements for the $6s ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7p ^2P_J$ transitions in cesium

We report measurements of the electric dipole matrix elements of the $^{133}$Cs $\ $ $6s\,^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7p\,^2P_{1/2}$ and $6s\,^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7p\,^2P_{3/2}$ transitions. Each of these determinations is based on direct, precise comparisons of the absorption coefficients between two absorption lines. For the $\langle 6s\,^2S_{1/2}||r|| 7p\,^2P_{3/2} \rangle$ matrix element, we measure the ratio of the absorption coefficient on this line with that of the D$_1$ transition, $6s\,^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 6p\,^2P_{1/2}$. The matrix element of the D$_1$ line has been determined with high precision previously by many groups. For the $\langle 6s\,^2S_{1/2}||r|| 7p\,^2P_{1/2} \rangle$ matrix element, we measure the ratio of the absorption coefficient on this line with that of the $6s\,^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7p\,^2P_{3/2}$ transition. Our results for these matrix elements are $\langle 6s\,^2S_{1/2}||r|| 7p\,^2P_{3/2} \rangle = 0.57417 \: (57)~a_0$ and $\langle 6s\,^2S_{1/2}||r|| 7p\,^2P_{1/2} \rangle = 0.27810 \: (45)~a_0$. These measurements have implications for the interpretation of parity nonconservation in atoms.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the lifetime of the $7s^2S_{1/2} $ state in atomic cesium using asynchronous gated detection

We report a measurement of the lifetime of the cesium $7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ state using time-correlated single-photon counting spectroscopy in a vapor cell. We excite the atoms using a Doppler-free two-photon transition from the $6s\,^2S_{1/2}$ ground state, and detect the 1.47$μ$m photons from the spontaneous decay of the $7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ to the $6p\,^2P_{3/2}$ state. We use a gated single photon detector in an asynchronous mode, allowing us to capture the fluorescence profile for a window much larger than the detector gate length. Analysis of the exponential decay of the photon count yields a $7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ lifetime of 48.28$\pm$0.07ns, an uncertainty of 0.14%. These measurements provide sensitive tests of theoretical models of the Cs atom, which play a central role in parity violation measurements.

physics.atom-ph

Measurement of the Stark shift of the $6s^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7p^2P_{J} $ transitions in atomic cesium

We report measurements of the Stark shift of the cesium $6s \: ^2S_{3/2} \rightarrow 7p \: ^2P_{3/2} $ and the $6s \: ^2S_{1/2} \rightarrow 7p \: ^2P_{1/2} $ transitions at $λ= 456$ nm and 459 nm, respectively, in an atomic beam. From these, we determine the static scalar polarizability for both 7P states, and the tensor polarizability for the 7P$_{3/2}$ state. The fractional uncertainty of the scalar polarizabilites is $\sim$0.18\%, while that of the tensor term is 0.66\%. These measurements provide sensitive tests of theoretical models of the Cs atom, which has played a central role in parity nonconservation measurements.

physics.atom-ph

Electric dipole matrix elements for the $6p\ ^2P_J \rightarrow 7s\ ^2S_{1/2}$ transition in atomic cesium

We report a measurement of the ratio of electric dipole transition matrix elements of cesium for the $6p\,^2P_{1/2} \rightarrow 7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ and $6p\,^2P_{3/2} \rightarrow 7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ transitions. We determine this ratio of matrix elements through comparisons of two-color, two-photon excitation rates of the $7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ state using laser beams with polarizations parallel to one another vs.\ perpendicular to one another. Our result of $R \equiv \langle 7s\ ^2S_{1/2} || r || 6p\ ^2P_{3/2} \rangle / \langle 7s\ ^2S_{1/2} || r || 6p\ ^2P_{1/2} \rangle = 1.5272 \ (17)$ is in excellent agreement with a theoretical prediction of $R=1.5270 \ (27)$. Moreover, the accuracy of the experimental ratio is sufficiently high to differentiate between various theoretical approaches. To our knowledge, there are no prior experimental measurements of $R$. Combined with our recent determination of the lifetime of the $7s\,^2S_{1/2}$ state, we determine reduced matrix elements for these two transitions, $\langle 7s\ ^2S_{1/2} || r || 6p\ ^2P_{3/2} \rangle = -6.489 \ (5) \ a_0$ and $\langle 7s\ ^2S_{1/2} || r || 6p\ ^2P_{1/2} \rangle = -4.249 \ (4) \ a_0$. These matrix elements are also in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. These measurements improve knowledge of Cs properties needed for parity violation studies and provide benchmarks for tests of high-precision theory.

physics.atom-ph

Gain measurement scheme for precise determination of atomic parity violation through two-pathway coherent control

Precision measurements of parity non-conserving (PNC) interactions in atoms, molecules and ions can lead to the discovery of new physics beyond the standard model and understanding of weak-force induced interactions in the nucleus. In this paper, we propose and analyze a novel atomic parity violation measurement scheme for a forbidden transition where we combine a two-pathway coherent control mechanism with probe gain techniques. We detail a feasible experimental geometry for $6S_{1/2}\rightarrow 7S_{1/2}$ transitions in a cesium vapor cell, and consider the statistical noise of such a measurement under reasonable laboratory conditions. We estimate the signal-to-noise ratio to be approaching $\sim2.3/\sqrt{Hz}$. This scheme, with low expected systematic errors, would allow for precise measurements in cesium and other heavy metal systems.

physics.atom-ph

Two-photon photoassociation spectroscopy of an ultracold heteronuclear molecule

We report on two-photon photoassociation (PA) spectroscopy of ultracold heteronuclear LiRb molecules. This is used to determine the binding energies of the loosely bound levels of the electronic ground singlet and the lowest triplet states of LiRb. We observe strong two-photon PA lines with power broadened line widths greater than 20 GHz at relatively low laser intensity of 30 W/cm$^{2}$. The implication of this observation on direct atom to molecule conversion using stimulated Raman adiabatic passage (STIRAP) is discussed and the prospect for electronic ground state molecule production is theoretically analyzed.

cond-mat.quant-gas

The $C \: ^1 Σ^+$, $A \: ^1 Σ^+$, and $b \: ^3 Π_{0^+}$ states of LiRb

We present the first spectroscopic studies of the $C \ ^1Σ^+$ electronic state and the $A \ ^1Σ^+$ - $b \ ^3Π_{0^+}$ complex in $^7$Li - $^{85}$Rb. Using resonantly-enhanced, two-photon ionization, we observed $v = 7$, 9, 12, 13 and $26-44$ of the $C \ ^1Σ^+$ state. We augment the REMPI data with a form of depletion spectra in regions of dense spectral lines. The $A \ ^1Σ^+$ - $b \ ^3Π_{0^+}$ complex was observed with depletion spectroscopy, depleting to vibrational levels $v=0 \rightarrow 29$ of the $A \ ^1Σ^+$ state and $v=8 \rightarrow 18$ of the $b \ ^3Π_{0^+}$ state. For all three series, we determine the term energy and vibrational constants. Finally, we outline several possible future projects based on the data presented here.

physics.atom-ph

Production of ultracold ground state LiRb molecules by photoassociation through a resonantly coupled state

We report on a resonantly coupled 2(1) - 4 (1) photoassociation resonance in LiRb. This pair of states displays interesting decay physics that hint at interference-like effects caused by two different decay paths. We observe decay to predominantly $X \ ^1Σ^+ \ v=43$, with significant numbers of molecules produced in $X \ ^1Σ^+ \ v=2$ - 12. This photoassociation resonance also produces $\sim$300 $X \ ^1Σ^+ \ v=0 \ J=0$ molecules/second. Finally, we identify a stimulated Raman adiabatic passage transfer pathway from $v=43$ to $v=0$ that has the potential to produce up to $2 \times 10^5$ LiRb molecules/second in the $X \ ^1Σ^+ \ v=0 \ J=0$ state.

physics.atom-ph

The $d \: ^3 Π$ state of LiRb

We report our spectroscopic studies of the $d \ ^3Π$ state of ultra-cold $^7$Li$^{85}$Rb using resonantly-enhanced multi-photon ionization and depletion spectroscopy with bound-to-bound transitions originating from the metastable $a \ ^3Σ^+$ state. We evaluate the potential of this state for use as the intermediate state in a STIRAP transfer scheme from triplet Feshbach LiRb molecules to the $X \ ^1Σ^+$ ground state, and find that the lowest several vibrational levels possess the requisite overlap with initial and final states, as well as convenient energies. Using depletion measurements, we measured the well depth and spin-orbit splitting. We suggest possible pathways for short-range photoassociation using deeply-bound vibrational levels of this electronic state.

physics.atom-ph

Optomechanical Measurement of the Abraham Force in an Adiabatic Liquid Core Optical Fiber Waveguide

We report quantitative experimental measurements of the Abraham force associated with a propagating optical wave. We isolate this force using a guided light wave undergoing an adiabatic mode transformation (AMT) along a liquid-filled hollow optical fiber (HOF). Utilizing this light intensity distribution within the liquid, we were able to generate a time-averaged non-vanishing Abraham force density, while simultaneously suppressing the Abraham-Minkowski force density. The incident laser field induced a linear axial displacement of the air-liquid interface inside the HOF, which provided a direct experimental measure of the Abraham force density. We find good agreement between the experimental results and theoretical determinations of the Abraham force density

physics.optics