Atomic barium and cesium alignment-to-orientation conversion in external electric and magnetic fields

Abstract

We present an alternative method for changing atomic alignment to orientation through interactions with orthogonal static electric and magnetic fields. Experimental results demonstrating this effect in the 5d6p $^{1}$P state of atomic barium and the F=4 hyperfine level of the ground state of atomic cesium are presented. The theory of this effect for a j=0 to j=1 electric dipole transition is discussed in detail. The tensor polarizability of the 5d6p $^{1}$P state of Ba is determined to be 1.31(15) MHz/(kV/cm${)}^{2}$, in good agreement with the results of van Leeuwen and Hogervorst [Z. Phys. A 310, 37 (1983)].