Jean Brossel and Alfred Kastler developed optical preparation and detection of atomic magnetic resonance. Selectively absorbed light creates unequal populations among Zeeman sublevels; a radio frequency transition redistributes those populations. The resulting change in absorption or fluorescence supplies a visible signal of the resonance. The light thus has two distinct jobs: optical pumping prepares the initial quantum state distribution, while optical detection reads out the effect of a much weaker magnetic excitation.[ref]
Création optique d’une inégalité de population entre les sous-niveaux Zeeman de l’état fondamental des atomes by Jean Brossel and others. Population preparation and optical observation of magnetic transitions
Portrait of Jean Brossel
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Jean Brossel was a prominent French physicist known for his contributions to various fields of physics, particularly in quantum optics and atomic physics. He made significant advances in the understanding of light-matter interactions and has published numerous scientific papers throughout his career. In addition to his research, Brossel has been involved in educating future generations of physicists and has contributed to the promotion of science in France and internationally.