2013 Conference on Lasers & Electro-Optics Europe & International Quantum Electronics Conference CLEO EUROPE/IQEC
DOI: 10.1109/cleoe-iqec.2013.6801796
American Institute of Physics, Applied Physics Letters, 13(88), p. 131108
DOI: 10.1063/1.2190457
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We study the possibility of creating quantum superposition states in alkali atoms. Our methodology is based on the phenomenon of nonlinear magneto-optical rotation (NMOR). The effect of magneto-optical rotation occurs whenever the resonant light propagates through the medium immersed in a longitudinal magnetic field and manifests itself as a rotation of the polarization plane of light. The effect is strongly enhanced by the nonlinearity of light-atom interaction and allows state-of-the art atomic magnetometry. On the other hand, the nonlinear magneto-rotation provides means to controllably affect and detect atom's quantum state. We present the work on this topic and report on some characteristics of superposition quantum states such as lifetimes or efficiency of it's creation in various conditions.