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Experiments with Supersonic Beams as a Source of Cold Atoms

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HeNe<br />

M2<br />

M1<br />

BB<br />

/2 L<br />

BB<br />

PC coil PC PD<br />

Figure 4.25: A schematic drawing <strong>of</strong> the Faraday rotation setup. M1 and M2 are beam<br />

steering mirrors which are used to align the light to the remainder <strong>of</strong> the apparatus.<br />

The beam p<strong>as</strong>ses though a polarizing beamsplitter cube (PC) and a λ/2 plate before<br />

being focused by an 83 mm focal length lens (L) to a 40 μm waist in the center <strong>of</strong> the<br />

coil. The TGG crystal is inserted into the coil, and the light is rotated in proportion<br />

to the magnetic field. The light p<strong>as</strong>ses though another polarizing cube before being<br />

detected on a photodiode (PD). The stray beams coming out <strong>of</strong> the polarizing cubes<br />

are blocked <strong>with</strong> beam blocks (BB). Figure Courtesy Christian Parthey.<br />

taken to ensure that the crystal is centered axially in the coil (the crystal used h<strong>as</strong> a<br />

3 mm diameter, and thus fills the coil radially). The light then p<strong>as</strong>ses though another<br />

polarizing cube before being detected on a photodiode.<br />

Because the magnetic field changes the angle <strong>of</strong> rotation, but the photodiode<br />

me<strong>as</strong>ures the power <strong>of</strong> the light hitting its surface, it is necessary to convert between<br />

the two. This gives the relation<br />

I<br />

I0<br />

=Cos 2<br />

z2<br />

z1<br />

<br />

vB(z)dz , (4.33)<br />

where I is the detected intensity on the photo diode, and I0 is the maximum intensity<br />

corresponding to no light being split <strong>of</strong>f by the second polarizing cube. As the field in<br />

the coil varies along the axis <strong>of</strong> the coil, the me<strong>as</strong>ured change in intensity corresponds<br />

to the integral <strong>of</strong> the field along the length <strong>of</strong> the crystal. The me<strong>as</strong>ured field values<br />

on the axis <strong>of</strong> the coil are used to calibrate the current used in the finite element<br />

calculation <strong>of</strong> the spatial field pr<strong>of</strong>ile.<br />

When actually me<strong>as</strong>uring the field in the coil, crystals <strong>of</strong> several lengths are<br />

98

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