Optical pumping and relaxation of atomic population in assorted conditions

TL;DR

This paper investigates atomic population dynamics under various experimental conditions, revealing significant effects on optical pumping and relaxation rates relevant to quantum technologies.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how different environments affect atomic optical pumping, especially highlighting confinement-induced enhancement in buffer gas cells.

Findings

Optical density increases by over 25 times with a control field in buffer gas cells.

Confinement induces enhanced optical pumping, contrary to previous reports.

Measured atomic velocities are approximately 25 m/s in coated cells and 8 m/s in buffer gas cells.

Abstract

The precise control and knowledge over the atomic dynamics is central to the advancement of quantum technology. The different experimental conditions namely, atoms in a vacuum, an anti-relaxation coated and a buffer gas filled atomic cell provides complementary platform for such investigations. The extent of changes in optical pumping, velocity changing collision and hyperfine changing collision rates associated with these conditions are discussed. There is a phenomenal change in the optical density by a factor of >25 times in presence of a control field in buffer gas environment. In contrary to earlier reports, we found confinement induced enhanced optical pumping as the mechanism behind the observed transparency in buffer gas cell. The feeble interplay of radiation trapping under specific conditions are pointed out. The diffusive velocity of atoms is measured to be ~25+-12 m/s and <= 8+-4 m/s for anti-relaxation coated and buffer gas filled cell respectively. The studies will have useful application in measurements of relaxation rates, quantum memory, quantum repeaters and atomic devices.