Magneto-optical resonance of electromagnetically induced absorption with high contrast and narrow width in a vapour cell with buffer gas

Abstract: The method for observing the high-contrast and narrow-width resonances of electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) in the Hanle configuration under counterpropagating light waves is proposed. We theoretically analyze the absorption of a probe light wave in presence of counterpropagating one with the same frequency as the function of a static magnetic field applied along the vectors of light waves, propagating in a vapour cell. Here, as an example, we study a "dark" type of atomic dipole transition Fg=1-->Fe=1 in D1 line of 87Rb, where usually the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) can be observed. To obtain the EIA signal one should proper chose the polarizations of light waves and intensities. In contrast of regular schemes for observing EIA signals (in a single travelling light wave in the Hanle configuration or in a bichromatic light field consisted of two travelling waves), the proposed scheme allows one to use buffer gas to significantly enhance properties of the resonance. Also the dramatic influence of atomic transition openness on contrast of the resonance is revealed, that gives great advantage in comparison with cyclic atomic transitions. The obtained results can be interesting in high-resolution spectroscopy, nonlinear and magneto-optics.