Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
Published on: April 24, 2014
Localization Transition for Light Scattering by Cold Atoms in an External Magnetic Field
1Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LPMMC, 38000 Grenoble, France.
Abstract:
We establish a localization phase diagram for light in a random three-dimensional (3D) ensemble of motionless two-level atoms with a threefold degenerate upper level, in a strong static magnetic field. Localized modes appear in a narrow spectral band when the number density of atoms ρ exceeds a critical value ρ_{c}≃0.1k_{0}^{3}, where k_{0} is the wave number of light in the free space. A critical exponent of the localization transition taking place upon varying the frequency of light at a constant ρ>ρ_{c} is estimated to be ν=1.57±0.07. This classifies the transition as an Anderson localization transition of 3D orthogonal universality class.
Related Concept Videos
Properties of Transition Metals
Magnetic Fields
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
Magnetic Field of a Solenoid
Consider a solenoid with 100 turns wrapped around a cylinder of...
Magnetic Field Lines
Magnetic field lines follow several hard-and-fast rules:
Energy In A Magnetic Field
Take an ideal inductor with zero resistance. Although it's practically impossible, assume that the coil's resistance is so small that it is practically negligible. The loss of the field's energy to dissipate thermal energy (or heat) is thus...
Atomic Nuclei: Magnetic Resonance

