The Glasgow Optics group is pioneering experiments on the interaction of spatially structured light with atomic vapours. Research on vectorial light matter interaction has seen an explosion in activities, powered by technological advances in generating vector light with custom-designed phase, intensity and polarisation profiles, and driven by the desire to transfer, store, and manipulate high-dimensional quantum information.

Most treatments of the propagation of light through a medium assume that the polarisation direction is restricted to the transverse plane. However, when light is strongly focused, three-dimensional (topological) polarisation structures emerge – including a polarisation component along the laser beam propagation which defeats usual methods of detection. Recently we have observed the 3D polarisation components in atom spectroscopy.

The objective of this project is to analyse the spectrum of strongly focused structured light in Rb vapour in specific magnetic fields. The goals of the project are: (i) to characterize the spectroscopy of Rb vapour in external magnetic fields with tightly focussed fields for a variety of polarisation profiles; (ii) to investigate the vectorial interaction of atoms with topological light; (iii) to explore the possibilities of designing next generation magnetic sensors based on the interaction of structured light with atomic media.

This project is aligned with a funded European project on vector magnetometry, as well as long-standing collaboration with researchers at Durham university, giving you access to additional international scientific exchanges.