High-Spatial-Resolution Monitoring of Strong Magnetic Field using Rb vapor Nanometric-Thin Cell

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates high-spatial-resolution magnetic field monitoring using Rb vapor in a nanometric-thin cell with the lambda-Zeeman technique, effective in strong magnetic fields and applicable to precise magnetometry.

Contribution

The study extends the lambda-Zeeman technique to strong magnetic fields up to 5000 G using a nanometric cell, enabling detailed hyperfine transition analysis.

Findings

Successful implementation of LZT in strong magnetic fields (2500-5000 G)

High spatial resolution magnetic field measurements possible

Potential for nanoscale magnetometry and atomic frequency references

Abstract

We have implemented the so-called $\lambda$-Zeeman technique (LZT) to investigate individual hyperfine transitions between Zeeman sublevels of the Rb atoms in a strong external magnetic field $B$ in the range of $2500 - 5000$ G (recently it was established that LZT is very convenient for the range of $10 - 2500$ G). Atoms are confined in a nanometric thin cell (NTC) with the thickness $L = \lambda$, where $\lambda$ is the resonant wavelength 794 nm for Rb $D_1$ line. Narrow velocity selective optical pumping (VSOP) resonances in the transmission spectrum of the NTC are split into several components in a magnetic field with the frequency positions and transition probabilities depending on the $B$-field. Possible applications are described, such as magnetometers with nanometric local spatial resolution and tunable atomic frequency references.