title: Push-pull optical pumping of pure superposition states.
abstract: A new optical pumping method, "push-pull pumping," can produce very nearly pure, coherent superposition states between the initial and the final sublevels of the important field-independent 0-0 clock resonance of alkali-metal atoms. The key requirement for push-pull pumping is the use of D1 resonant light which alternates between left and right circular polarization at the Bohr frequency of the state. The new pumping method works for a wide range of conditions, including atomic beams with almost no collisions, and atoms in buffer gases with pressures of many atmospheres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
authors.forename: Y-Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Jau
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miron
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Kuzma
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Happer