High sensitivity spectroscopy of cesium Rydberg atoms using electromagnetically induced transparency

Abstract

A high sensitivity spectroscopy of Rydberg atoms is presented by using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in the 6S(1/2)-6P(3/2)-n D ladder-type system of cesium vapor cell at room temperature. The EIT spectra of 40 D Rydberg state are measured and the dependences of the EIT magnitude and linewidth on the coupling laser power are investigated in detail. The Rydberg EIT linewidth is measured to be about 5.6 MHz when the powers of probe and coupling lasers are 50 microW and 5.2 mW, respectively, and which is close to the natural linewidth of cesium atoms. The effect of double resonance optical pumping on EIT is also investigated. The fine structures of nD (n = 39-55) are measured and the experimental result is in agreement with quantum defect theory.