Photon Hall Scattering from Alkaline-earth-like atoms and Alkali-like ions

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical possibility of observing photon Hall scattering in alkaline-earth-like atoms and alkali-like ions, highlighting a novel interference mechanism that enhances the effect and discussing experimental challenges.

Contribution

It introduces a new quantum interference mechanism for photon Hall scattering that does not involve real photon scattering by electric-dipole transitions, improving detectability.

Findings

Interference between electric-dipole and electric-quadrupole transitions induces magneto-transverse scattering.

The proposed mechanism significantly increases the ratio of Hall current to background photons.

Detection of the effect requires overcoming a small scattering threshold of 10^{-5} photons per atom per second.

Abstract

We investigate the possibility of observing a magneto-transverse scattering of photons from alkaline-earth-like atoms as well as alkali-like ions and provide orders of magnitude. The transverse magneto-scattering is physically induced by the interference between two possible quantum transitions of an outer electron in a S-state, one dispersive electric-dipole transition to a P-orbital state and a second resonant electric-quadrupole transition to a P-orbital state. In contrast with previous mechanisms proposed for such an atomic photonic Hall effect, no real photons are scattered by the electric-dipole allowed transition, which increases the ratio of Hall current to background photons significantly. The main experimental challenge is to overcome the small detection threshold, with only 10^{-5} photons scattered per atom per second.