Electromagnetically induced transparency in a V-system with 87Rb vapour in the hyperfine Paschen-Back regime

We observe electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in a V-system in a thermal rubidium-87 vapour in the hyperfine Paschen-Back regime, realised with a 0.6 T axial magnetic field. In this regime energy levels are no longer degenerate and EIT features from different initial states are distinct, which we show produces a much cleaner feature than without a magnetic field. We compare our results to a model using the time-dependent Lindblad master equation, and having averaged over a distribution of interaction times, see good qualitative agreement for a range of pump Rabi frequencies. Excited state decay into both ground states is shown to play a prominent role in the generation of the transparency feature, which arises mainly due to transfer of population into the ground state not coupled by the probe beam. We use the model to investigate the importance of coherence in this feature, showing that its contribution is more significant at smaller pump Rabi frequencies.

Automated summary

In this study, electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) was observed in a V-system in thermal rubidium-87 vapor under a magnetic field. The distinct EIT features from different initial states were shown to be cleaner with the presence of a magnetic field. Excited state decay into ground states played a prominent role in the generation of the transparency feature.