SAMOP 2023 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 28: Ultra-cold Plasmas and Rydberg Systems II (joint session A/Q)

A 28.3: Talk

Friday, March 10, 2023, 11:45–12:00, F107

Experimental investigation of multilevel Autler-Townes spectra — •Jana Bender, Patrick Mischke, Tanita Klas, Florian Binoth, Thomas Niederprüm, and Herwig Ott — Department of Physics and Research center OPTIMAS, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau

The Autler-Townes splitting in a strongly coupled two-level-system is a well-known effect in atomic physics. However, actual atomic systems seldom are perfect two-level-systems: Both hyperfine structure and magnetic sublevels result in closely spaced multilevel systems where two individual states can be coupled only for distinct combinations of laser polarization and quantum numbers. The coupling lifts degeneracies and mixes the states, resulting in complex spectra deviating from the symmetrical two-level Autler-Townes splitting.

We experimentally investigate these spectra in a thermal cloud of ⁸⁷Rb atoms by resonantly coupling the 6P3/2, F=3 state to a Rydberg state with varying Rabi frequency. We selectively probe the population of the resulting mixed states with a laser of adjustable polarization.

Our experiments confirm that multilevel effects have to be considered in the Autler-Townes regime. As a general rule, the splitting between peaks is not equal to the Rabi frequency if the coupling strength exceeds the energetic distance of adjacent states.