Optical Pumping & EIT

Excitation of electronic or magnetic states with lasers

  • Optical pumping
  • Electromagnetically induced transparency
  • Photon storage & slow light
  • TOPTICA’s added value

Using of Optical pumping

Optical pumping is widely used to prepare atoms, ions or molecules in a selected quantum mechanical state. This can be either a specific electronic state (like in a gas or solid state laser itself) or a magnetic state. The latter is a prerequisite for laser magnetic field measurement and for monitoring the lung with NMR/MRT techniques involving the inhalation of spin polarized He gas.

What is EIT?

Electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) refers to a phenomenon where the absorption of light (usually a laser beam) can be varied or even controlled by shining in another laser beam. EIT with phase coherent lasers has interesting consequences. Light can be slowed down to a speed of a walking human being or – using a special sequence of light pulses – even completely stopped and reemitted on demand.