Double resonance optical pumping-polarization spectroscopy of an excited state transition

Abstract We present an investigation of double resonance optical pumping-polarization spectroscopy (DROP-PS) of an excited state transition based on the cesium 6S 1∕2 - 6P 3∕2 - 8S 1∕2 ladder-type atomic system in a room-temperature vapor cell. A linearly polarized probe beam populates the atoms from ground state 6S 1∕2 to intermediate state 6P 3∕2 , and then DROP-PS signal is obtained by detecting the anisotropy of atomic medium on the 6P 3∕2 state induced by a circularly polarized coupling beam operated on the 6P 3∕2 - 8S 1∕2 transition. This DROP-PS signal with dispersive shape is suitable for locking a laser to an excited state transition.