Squeezed-Light Optical Magnetometry

Abstract

We demonstrate a light-shot-noise-limited magnetometer based on the Faraday effect in a hot unpolarized ensemble of rubidium atoms. By using off-resonant, polarization-squeezed probe light, we improve the sensitivity of the magnetometer by 3.2 dB. The technique could improve the sensitivity of the most advanced magnetometers and quantum nondemolition measurements of atomic spin ensembles.