Hyperfine Constants and Line Separations for the $^{1} S {0}-\,^{3
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1 3 Hyperfine constants and line separations for the S0 − P1 intercombination line in neutral ytterbium with sub-Doppler resolution P. E. Atkinson, J. S. Schelfhout and J. J. McFerran∗ ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, 6009 Crawley, Australia (Dated: August 12, 2019) 2 1 3 Optical frequency measurements of the intercombination line (6s ) S0 −(6s6p) P1 in the isotopes of ytterbium are carried out with the use of sub-Doppler fluorescence spectroscopy on an atomic beam. A dispersive signal is generated to which a master laser is locked, while frequency counting of an auxiliary beat signal is performed via a frequency comb referenced to a hydrogen maser. The 3 relative separations between the lines are used to evaluate the P1-level magnetic dipole and electric 3 171 quadrupole constants for the fermionic isotopes. The center of gravity for the P1 levels in Yb and 173Yb are also evaluated, where we find significant disagreement with previously reported values. These hyperfine constants provide a valuable litmus test for atomic many-body computations in ytterbium. PACS numbers: 32.10.Fn; 32.30.-r; 42.62.Eh; 42.62.Fi 3 171 173 I. INTRODUCTION constants, A( P1) for Yb and Yb, and the elec- 3 173 tric quadrupole constant, B( P1) for Yb. We find Neutral ytterbium is exploited in a range of atomic good agreement with the earlier work by Pandey et physics experiments. In ultracold gases, studies in- al. [34] for the A coefficients and reasonable agreement 3 clude, Bose-Einstein condensates in lattices [1{3], de- for B( P1). However, we find significant disagreement generate Fermi gases [4{7], artificial gauge poten- for the center of gravity values. With our new A con- tials [8{10], quantum many-body simulations [11, 12], stants, we compute an updated value of the hyper- 3 and ultracold molecules [13, 14]. In parallel, ytterbium fine anomaly for the (6s6p) P1 state. We note that has been used to develop one of the world's most ac- Doppler-free absorption spectroscopy has been applied curate atomic frequency references [15{19]. Ytterbium to other lines in neutral Yb [35] and to ionised ytter- gained attention in the investigation of atomic parity bium to extract hyperfine constants [35, 36] (where the nonconservation [20, 21] when the level of violation was resolution was lower). shown to be about one hundred times stronger than in Cs [22]. Such experiments examine nuclear physics at low energy and are a means to explore physical II. EXPERIMENT behaviour beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles [23{26]. The comparison between measured A sub-Doppler spectroscopy scheme that relies on and computed hyperfine structure constants acts as saturated absorption is used to generate spectra of the an important test for the modelling of atomic wave individual ICL transitions. The method is outlined in functions in the nuclear region [27, 28], and provides Fig. 1. Ytterbium atoms effuse through narrow colli- information for atomic many-body calculations rele- mation tubes extending from an oven held at 450◦C vant to atomic parity violation and permanent electric and under vacuum. A 556 nm laser beam is retrore- dipole moments [29{32]. Furthermore, knowledge of flected with a mirror-lens combination (cat's eye) with the hyperfine constants is applied to the analysis of its optical axis orientated in the horizontal plane. The photoassociation spectra in ultracold ytterbium [33]. focal length of the lens is 75 mm and the optics are Given the significance of ytterbium and the impor- set in a Thorlabs cage system. The green beams and tance of its hyperfine constants, we have applied a sub- atomic beam are made orthogonal by centering the sat- arXiv:1908.03350v1 [physics.atom-ph] 9 Aug 2019 Doppler spectroscopy technique to measure the opti- urated absorption signal (Lamb dip) on the Doppler cal frequencies of the intercombination line (ICL) in background, when applying first order detection. Flu- the isotopes of ytterbium. This grants approximately orescence is detected by way of a photomultiplier tube a ten-fold reduction in the width of spectral features (PMT, Hamamatsu H10492-003) that is located above compared to previous measurements. From the optical the atom interrogation zone. There is a concave, sil- frequencies we deduce the various line separations, and ver coated mirror located below the interaction zone for the fermionic isotopes, 171Yb and 173Yb, we eval- with a focal length of 40 mm, matching the distance uate the hyperfine constants; i.e., the magnetic dipole from the atoms. A 30 mm focal length convex lens above the atoms directs fluorescence onto the photo- multiplier cell. The atomic flow rate, as determined by the DC level of the PMT, is ∼ 3 × 1010 s−1. Detec- ∗ [email protected] tion on the third harmonic is performed for frequency 2 measurements to minimize the influence of the Doppler level diagram of the isotope shifts and hyperfine split- background. Helmholtz coils are used to create a ver- tings in Fig. 3. The spectral widths of Fig. 2 are tical bias field to null the vertical component of the not lifetime (184 kHz) or transit time (70 kHz) limited, Earth's magnetic field and to avoid any Zeeman split- rather, they are broadened due to the applied modu- ting. Frequency modulation at 33 kHz is applied to lation [37] and the optical intensity of the probe light. −2 the 556 nm light by means of an acousto-optic modu- The intensity is ∼70 Isat, where Isat = 1:4 W·m is 1 3 lator (AOM). The modulation is sourced from a lock-in the saturation intensity for the S0 − P1 transition. amplifier (LIA) (SRS SR830) that receives the PMT The intensity and modulation amplitude (1.2 MHz) signal and outputs the third harmonic dispersive sig- were chosen to provide sufficient signal-to-noise ratio nal. Generation of the 556 nm light is described in [37]. (SNR) for robust servo operation, in particular for the In brief, a fiber laser injection-locks a 50 mW ridge weaker lines. The sweep rate for the spectra in Fig. 2 waveguide diode laser for amplification. This light is was 260 kHz per second. Integration of the traces (once frequency doubled in a resonant cavity containing a or three times) produces the familiar Lamb dip. The periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal center of the discriminator acts as the lock point for with 40% conversion efficiency [38]. Only ∼ 200 µW of a feedback loop when frequency measurements are un- the light is used for the saturation spectroscopy. dertaken. Under this condition the FVC servo is no longer engaged and the atomic resonance signal is used CNTR PMT DAQ to create a correction signal that is, instead, sent to the piezo element in the 1112 nm master laser via a LPF RF beat M CE LIA high-voltage driver. The right-most spectrum of Fig. 2 LF L L shows the discriminating slopes for two closely sepa- f-comb 171 0 173 MOD rated transitions: the Yb (F = 3=2) and Yb Yb fR 556nm (F 0 = 3=2) lines; the former being the stronger of the 1111.6nm H- B E VCO two. The resolution of these two lines at zero B-field master & maser slave lasers RFA has not been previously been presented. It enables M CNTR AOM a direct measurement of the frequency difference be- × 2 tween the two and is relevant to the determination of the hyperfine constants in Sect. IV. FIG. 1. A sketch of the setup for saturated absorption spec- 171 0 2 1 3 The spectrum for Yb (F = 1=2) shown in Fig. 2 troscopy of the (6s ) S0 − (6s6p) P1 transition on an atomic beam of Yb. The lock-in amplifier (LIA) outputs an error signal is not a saturated absorption signal, but is instead which is fed back to the 1112 nm laser for stabilization to the an inverted crossover resonance between two Zeeman intercombination line. This light is also used to generate a het- transitions [37], hence has a central slope that is in- erodyne beat note with an element of a frequency comb, which verse to the others. It is generated when a bias mag- is frequency counted. The magnetic (B) field is applied to can- netic field is applied, in this case 0.1 mT. It has been cel the Earth's vertical B-field component. AOM, acousto-optic modulator; CNTR, frequency counter; CE, cat's eye reflector; included to show the relative strength of this reso- DAQ, data acquisition for spectra; E, electric field polarization; nance to the saturated absorption signals. The center 171 f-comb, frequency comb (in the near-IR); fR, repetition fre- of this resonance coincides with the center of the Yb quency; L, lens; LF, loop filter; LPF, long-wavelength pass filter (F 0 = 1=2) line, as shown in [37]. (505 nm); M, mirror; MOD, modulation; PMT, photo-multiplier tube; RFA, radio frequency amplifier; VCO, voltage controlled To record the center-frequencies of the transitions oscillator. the optical beat between the sub-harmonic light at 1112 nm light and the comb tooth is frequency counted when the 1112 nm laser is locked to the center of the To scan across the resonance lines we lock the dispersive curve. After an averaging time of 30 s the 1112 nm master laser to a mode (tooth) of a frequency Allan deviation is usually between 1 kHz and 5 kHz, comb (Menlo Systems FC1500) and sweep the green depending on the SNR of the signal.