Feedback-controlled and digitally processed coherent population trapping resonance conversion in 87Rb vapour to high-contrast resonant peak

Abstract

This work reports on the study of a new approach to achievement of high-contrast resonant signals from coherent population trapping (CPT) resonances in ^87 Rb vapour based on feedback control and real-time digital processing of several measured parameters. This method consists in stabilisation of the value of a function depending on several system parameters measured as the frequency difference of the bichromatic pump radiation is scanned through adjustment of the pumping radiation power with a feedback loop. The present work made use of two such parameters: the pumping radiation power incident on and exiting from the optical cell. Exploration of the proposed method has shown that stabilisation of a linear combination of these two parameters results in a resonant peak whose contrast exceeds that of regular CPT resonance by more than two orders of magnitude at relatively slow CPT resonance scan rates, (scanning frequency of the frequency difference of the bichromatic field ∼1 Hz). When dynamically exciting the CPT resonance (the scan frequency of the frequency difference of the bichromatic field equal to 2 kHz), the resonant peak contrast was enhanced by over an order of magnitude.

Keywords

• coherent population trapping resonance
• Rb vapour
• feedback
• real-time digital processing