Optical Pumping: Population Dynamics
Optical Pumping: Population Dynamics
This module illustrates the dynamical, i.e., time-dependent, rearrangement of Zeeman sublevel populations by optical pumping of atoms with circularly or linearly polarized light. The power and polarization of the light as well as the angular momenta of the states coupled by the light can be chosen. The effect of optical pumping is illustrated by the relative sublevel populations, by the two lowest multipole moments (orientation and alignment), and by a probability surface. The length of the displayed time interval can be chosen and the dynamics of the populations, the orientation (vector polarization) and the alignment (tensor polarization) of the atomic medium can be seen as animations.