Cylindrical vector beams for rapid polarization-dependent measurements in atomic systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces cylindrical vector beams with spatially varying polarization for rapid, position-dependent measurement and control of atomic spins in rubidium vapor, enabling efficient polarization analysis and spin preparation.

Contribution

It demonstrates the use of modified vector beams as atomic spin analyzers and for spatially dependent spin preparation in atomic systems, advancing polarization-sensitive measurement techniques.

Findings

Vector beams modulate absorption spatially in rubidium vapor

Modified vector beams serve as effective atomic spin analyzers

Space-variant atomic spin can be achieved via optical pumping

Abstract

We demonstrate the use of cylindrical vector beams - beams with spatially varying polarization - for detecting and preparing the spin of a warm rubidium vapor in a spatially dependent manner. We show that a modified probe vector beam can serve as an atomic spin analyzer for an optically pumped medium, which spatially modulates absorption of the beam. We also demonstrate space-variant atomic spin by optical pumping with the vector beams. The beams are thus beneficial for making singleshot polarization-dependent measurements, as well as for providing a means of preparing samples with position-dependent spin.