Autler-Townes splitting via frequency up-conversion at ultralow-power levels in cold 87 Rb atoms using an optical nanofiber

Abstract

The tight confinement of the evanescent light field around the waist of an optical nanofiber makes it a suitable tool for studying nonlinear optics in atomic media. Here, we use an optical nanofiber embedded in a cloud of laser-cooled 87 Rb for near-infrared frequency up-conversion via a resonant two-photon process. Sub-nW powers of the two-photon radiation, at 780 and 776 nm, copropagate through the optical nanofiber and the generation of 420 nm photons is observed. A measurement of the Autler-Townes splitting provides a direct measurement of the Rabi frequency of the 780 nm transition. Through this method, dephasings of the system can be studied. In this work, the optical nanofiber is used as an excitation and detection tool simultaneously, and it highlights some of the advantages of using fully fibered systems for nonlinear optics with atoms. © 2015, American Physical Society. All rights reserved.