Ground-state atomic polarization relaxation-time measurement of Rb filled hypocycloidal core-shaped Kagome HC-PCF

TL;DR

This study measures the ground-state atomic polarization relaxation times of rubidium vapor in specialized hollow core fibers, revealing significantly longer relaxation times than traditional cells due to dwell time effects and slow atom contributions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel measurement of relaxation times in hypocycloidal Kagome HC-PCF, highlighting the impact of dwell time and slow atoms on polarization relaxation.

Findings

Relaxation times are at least ten times longer than in conventional cells.

Dwell time and slow atoms significantly influence relaxation dynamics.

Monte Carlo simulations support experimental observations.

Abstract

We report on the measurement of ground state atomic polarization relaxation tile of Rb vapor confined in five different hypocycloidal core shape Kagome hollow core photonic crystal fibers made with uncoated silica glass. We are able to distinguish between wall-collision and transit-time effects in optical waveguide and deduce the contribution of the atom's dwell time at the core wall surface. In contrast with convetional macroscopic atomic cell configuration, and in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations, the measured relaxation times were found to be at least one order of magnitude longer than the limit set by the atom-wall collisional relaxation from thermal atoms. This extended relaxation time is explained by the combination of a stronger contribution of the slow atoms in the atomic polarization build-up, and of the relatively significant contribution of dwell time to the relaxation process of the ground state polarization.