Observation on the absorption of linearly polarized light by 133Cs atoms with optically resolved hyperfine structure.

• An analytical form of the absorption of linearly polarized light is derived. • The influence of linearly polarized light on atomic distribution is revealed. • A method to reduce this influence is proposed for practical applications. The absorption of linearly polarized light by ¹³³Cs atoms is desired to be well known in many applications of atomic physics. For implementing this requirement, a simplified analytical form for the absorption of linearly polarized light by ¹³³Cs atoms with optically resolved hyperfine structure is derived. Based on the obtained analytical form, optical absorption cross-sections of ¹³³Cs atoms are simulated. An experiment is designed to further study the absorption of linearly polarized light by ¹³³Cs atoms. Theory and experiment show that the influence of linearly polarized light on the distribution of ¹³³Cs atoms will in turn affect the optical absorption. In order to demonstrate this kind of influence, an example for the measurement of the ¹³³Cs vapor density is shown theoretically and experimentally, and a method of polynomial fit is proposed to reduce this influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]