Rigorous theory of thin-vapor-layer linear optical properties: The case of quenching of atomic polarization upon collisions of atoms with dielectric walls

Abstract

Hot alkali metal vapors enclosed in sub-micron spectroscopic cells provide an ideal system for fundamental studies of the atom-wall and atom-light interactions at nanoscale. Here, we propose a novel approach for calculating the eigenmodes of a thin-vapor-layer beyond the limitations of the first-order perturbation theory in optical density for the case of quenching of atomic polarization upon collisions of atoms with dielectric walls. We show that higher-order optical density corrections lead to a remarkable density-dependent blue shift and deformation of the spectral line shapes of reflection, transmission, and absorption. We also demonstrate that the eigenmodes of the thin-vapor-layer can be calculated independently of the choice of optical boundary conditions. This greatly extends the applicability of the constructed theory for the development of miniature atomic sensors.

References in corpus (13)

• The cooperative Lamb shift in an atomic nanolayer
• Hyperfine Paschen-Back regime realized in Rb nanocell
• Decoupling of hyperfine structure of Cs $D_1$ line in strong magnetic field studied by selective reflection from a nanocell
• Selective reflection from Rb layer with thickness below $\lambda$/12 and applications
• Hyperfine Paschen-Back regime in alkali metal atoms: consistency of two theoretical considerations and experiment
• Nano-structured alkali-metal vapor cells
• Optical transmission of an atomic vapor in the mesoscopic regime
• Modified dipole-dipole interaction and dissipation in an atomic ensemble near surfaces
• Spectroscopic detection of atom-surface interactions in an atomic vapour layer with nanoscale thickness
• Recovering the homogeneous absorption of inhomogeneous media
• Testing the limits of the Maxwell distribution of velocities for atoms flying nearly parallel to the walls of a thin cell
• Search for deviations from the ideal Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for a gas at an interface
• Rigorous Theory of the Thin Vapor Layers Optical Properties: The Case of Specular Reflection of Atoms Colliding with the Walls