We describe an experiment of atomic spectroscopy devoted to ascertaining whether the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of photons has the same property of interacting with atoms ormolecules as occurs for the spin angularmomentum (SAM). In our experiment, rubidium vapors are excited by means of laser radiation with different combinations of OAM and SAM, particularly selected to inhibit or enhance the fluorescence according to the selection rules for the electric dipole transitions between the fundamental state and the first excited doublet. Our results clearly show that an electricdipole- type transition is insensitive to the OAM value, and provide an original validation of a problem long debated in theoretical works.
Influence of the photon orbital angular momentum on electric dipole transitions: negative experimental evidence
GIAMMANCO, FRANCESCO;MARSILI, PAOLO;FIDECARO, FRANCESCO;
2017-01-01
Abstract
We describe an experiment of atomic spectroscopy devoted to ascertaining whether the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of photons has the same property of interacting with atoms ormolecules as occurs for the spin angularmomentum (SAM). In our experiment, rubidium vapors are excited by means of laser radiation with different combinations of OAM and SAM, particularly selected to inhibit or enhance the fluorescence according to the selection rules for the electric dipole transitions between the fundamental state and the first excited doublet. Our results clearly show that an electricdipole- type transition is insensitive to the OAM value, and provide an original validation of a problem long debated in theoretical works.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
