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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Non-equilibrium Microwave Plasma for Efficient High Temperature Chemistry
Published on: August 1, 2017
Faraday dichroic beam splitter for Raman light using an isotopically pure alkali-metal-vapor cell
Richard P Abel1, Ulrich Krohn, Paul Siddons
1Department of Physics, Rochester Building, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom. r.p.abel@durham.ac.uk
Abstract:
We present an application of the Faraday effect to produce a narrowband dichroic beam splitter using an alkali metal vapor. Two Raman beams detuned in frequency by the ground-state hyperfine splitting in (87)Rb are produced using an electro-optic modulator and then separated using the Faraday effect in an isotopically pure (85)Rb thermal vapor. An experimental transmission spectra for the beam splitter is presented along with a theoretical calculation. The performance of the beam splitter is then demonstrated and characterized using a Fabry-Perot etalon. For a temperature of 70 degrees C and a longitudinal magnetic field of 80 G, a suppression of one frequency of 18 dB is achieved, limited by the quality of the polarizers.
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