Faraday dichroic beam splitter for Raman light using an isotopically pure alkali-metal-vapor cell.
We present an application of the Faraday effect to produce a narrowband dichroic beam splitter using an alkali metal vapor. Two Raman beams detuned in frequency by the ground-state hyperfine splitting in (87)Rb are produced using an electro-optic modulator and then separated using the Faraday effect in an isotopically pure (85)Rb thermal vapor. An experimental transmission spectra for the beam splitter is presented along with a theoretical calculation. The performance of the beam splitter is then demonstrated and characterized using a Fabry-Perot etalon. For a temperature of 70 degrees C and a longitudinal magnetic field of 80 G, a suppression of one frequency of 18 dB is achieved, limited by the quality of the polarizers.
Department of Physics, Rochester Building, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom. r.p.abel@durham.ac.uk
Richard P
RP
Abel
Ulrich
U
Krohn
Paul
P
Siddons
Ifan G
IG
Hughes
Charles S
CS
Adams