Selective reflection from a potassium atomic layer with a thickness as small as λ/13. (6th September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sargsyan, A; Klinger, E; Leroy, C; Hughes, I G; Sarkisyan, D; Adams, C S
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 52:Number 19(2019:Oct. 01)
• Publication Date: 2019-09-06
• Subjects: nanocell -- van der Waals effect -- narrow optical resonance -- Doppler-free spectroscopy -- selective reflection -- K D2 line; Atoms -- Periodicals; Molecules -- Periodicals; Optics -- Periodicals; Nuclear physics -- Periodicals; 539.6
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6455/ab38fe
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-4075

Abstract

Abstract: We demonstrate that a method using the derivative of the selective reflection (SR) signal from a nanocell is a convenient and robust tool for atomic laser spectroscopy, achieving a nearly Doppler-free spectral resolution. The recorded linewidth of the signal from a potassium-filled cell, whose thickness ℓ lies in the range 350–500 nm, is 18 times smaller than the Doppler linewidth (∼900 MHz full width at half maximum) of potassium atoms. We also show experimentally a sign oscillation of the reflected signal's derivative with a periodicity of λ /2 when ℓ varies from 190 to 1200 nm confirming the theoretical prediction. We report the first measurement of the van der Waals atom-surface interaction coefficient C 3 = 1.9 ± 0.3 kHz × μ m 3 of potassium 4 S 1 / 2 → 4 P 3 / 2 transitions with the nanocell's sapphire windows, demonstrating the usefulness and convenience of the derivative of SR technique for cell thicknesses in the range 60–120 nm.