REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS
Academic paper: Zeeman optical pumping of 87Rb atoms in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber
Preparation of an atomic ensemble in a particular Zeeman state is a critical step of many protocols for implementing quantum sensors and quantum memories. These devices can also benefit from optical fiber integration. In this work, ORCA Computing’s Rafał Gartman and Kris Kaczmarek describe experimental results supported by a theoretical model of single-beam optical pumping of 87Rb atoms within a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. The observed 50% population increase in the pumped F=2, mF=2 Zeeman substate along with the depopulation of remaining Zeeman substates enabled us to achieve a threefold improvement in the relative population of the mF=2 substate within the F=2 manifold, with 60% of the F=2 population residing in the mF=2 dark sublevel. Based on the theoretical model, they propose methods to further improve the pumping efficiency in alkali-filled hollow-core fibers.
