Measurement of the diffusion coefficient of oriented Na atoms in different buffer gases

Transporting and time reversing light via atomic coherence

We study basic issues central to the storage of quantum information in a coherently prepared atomic medium such as the role of adiabaticity. We also propose and demonstrate transporting, multiplexing, and time reversing of stored light.

Observation of Ramsey fringes in an atomic cell with buffer gas

Temporal Ramsey fringes that are due to light scattering by coherently prepared rubidium atoms diffusing through a cell containing neon as a buffer gas have been observed. The effect leads to increasing magneto-optical rotation of cw light polarization at weak magnetic fields.

Wall relaxation of spin-polarized sodium measured by reflection spectroscopy

Using reflection spectroscopy of optically pumped sodium vapor, we have performed what is to our knowledge the first direct measurement of the spatially inhomogeneous spin polarization near a glass surface. On the basis of a theoretical description of the reflection at an inhomogeneous, anisotropic medium, we deduce the magnitude of the small residual magnetization at the surface from an analysis of the optical line shape. This allows us to specify the depolarizing properties of the surface.