Properties of the photonic hall effect in cold atomic clouds

Abstract

On the basis of exact numerical simulations and analytical calculations, we describe qualitatively and quantitatively the interference processes at the origin of the photonic Hall effect for resonant Rayleigh (point-dipole) scatterers in a magnetic field. For resonant incoming light, the induced giant magneto-optical effects result, even for magnetic field strength as low as a few mT, in relative Hall currents in the percent range. This suggests that the observation of the photonic Hall effect in cold atomic vapors is within experimental reach. © 2009 The American Physical Society.